Kesha unveiled a new country-pop track titled “Yippee-Ki-Yay” featuring T-Pain on Thursday, marking the third single from her forthcoming sixth album, which she officially revealed will be titled Period (yes, with the punctuation mark).
“Yippee-Ki-Yay” follows her previous singles “Joyride” and “Delusional” released last year. The song blends the signature sounds of two influential voices from the late 2000s and early 2010s pop scene. Produced by Pink Slip and Nova Wav, the track reflects the increasing trend of country influences in mainstream pop music, though it’s a genre T-Pain is familiar with, having previously discussed writing country songs in interviews with The Hollywood Reporter.
Kesha had been dropping subtle hints about her new album in recent weeks, including updating the cover art of her past albums with large pink circles obscuring much of the original designs.
Period is set for release on July 4, coinciding with Independence Day. The release date is particularly meaningful, as it marks Kesha’s first album as an independent artist, following her departure from RCA Records and Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe Records, with whom she had a tumultuous relationship.
For years, Kesha was locked in a bitter legal battle with producer Lukasz Gottwald (aka Dr. Luke), after accusing him of sexual assault and filing a lawsuit against him, which he denied, countersuing for defamation. In 2023, the two reached a settlement, with Kesha expressing her relief at closing that chapter, stating she was “looking forward to closing the door on this chapter of my life and beginning a new one.”
Her 2023 album Gag Order was her final release with RCA and Kemosabe. Following that, Kesha launched her own label, Kesha Records, through Warner Music Group’s independent distribution arm, ADA.
At the time, Kesha spoke about her vision for the label, saying, “My name has become synonymous with transparency, integrity, and safety, and I want to ensure that these values are upheld for myself and any future artists signed to my label. Music has the power to connect the world, and I aspire for my work to be a beacon of light and goodness. I am excited to take control of my narrative and rewrite my story in the music business.”
