TED Talks Daily - The alchemy of pop | Kesha

Episode Date: July 11, 2024

"You can write a song and you can not tell the truth, but your song will suck," says pop star Kesha. So what's the secret to making a great pop song? She explains the special alchemy of her own hits like "TiK ToK" and "Praying" and gives a stunning debut performance of her new song, "Cathedral." (Note: This talk contains mature language.)

TED Audio Collective at bops, even if the lyrics seem cheesy or silly. There's a kind of alchemy that happens in pop music that speaks to us because it gets at a kind of truth. At TED 2024, pop star Kesha shares an appreciation of the depth and the excitement of connecting through this music. She also debuts a brand new song from the TED stage. Please note there is some mature language in this episode. All that after the break. Support for this show comes from Airbnb. If you know me, you know I love staying in Airbnbs when I travel. They make my family feel most at home when we're away from home. As we settled down at our Airbnb during a recent vacation to Palm Springs, I pictured my own home sitting empty.

Wouldn't it be smart and better put to use welcoming a family like mine by hosting it on Airbnb? It feels like the practical thing to do, and with the extra income, I could save up for renovations to make the space even more inviting for ourselves and for future guests. Your home might be worth more than you think.

Find out how much at airbnb.ca slash host. AI keeping you up at night? Wondering what it means for your business? Don't miss the latest season of Disruptors, the podcast that takes a closer look at the innovations reshaping our economy. Join RBC's John Stackhouse and Sonia Sinek from Creative Destruction Lab as they ask bold questions like, why is Canada lagging in AI adoption and how to catch up? Don't get left behind. Listen to Disruptors, the innovation era, and stay ahead of the game in this fast-changing world. Follow Disruptors on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform. transform how we manage forests, capturing more carbon and safeguarding biodiversity for generations to come. At UBC, our researchers are answering today's most pressing questions.

To learn how we're moving the world forward, visit ubc.ca forward happens here. I want to tell you about a podcast I love called Search Engine, hosted by PJ Vogt. Each week, he and his team answer these perfect questions, the kind of questions that, when you ask them at a dinner party, completely derail conversation. Questions about business, tech, and society,

like, is everyone pretending to understand inflation? Why don't we have flying cars yet? And what does it feel like to believe in God? If you find this world bewildering, but also sometimes enjoy being bewildered by it, check out Search Engine with PJ Vogt, available now wherever you get your podcasts. And now, our TED Talk of the day. Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the alchemy of pop. What else in the world can change your mind, can change your mood, can change your entire energetic frequency in three and a half minutes?

For me, that's pop music. And for me, that's alchemy. I'm Kesha, and I am a pop star. I'm a singer, I'm a songwriter, I'm an activist, and I'm a surprisingly good scuba diver, amongst many other things. But the thing that drives me the most in this life is to write pop songs. And let me tell you why. For me, songwriting and scuba diving are actually very similar.

When I go diving, I like to go deep. I just jump right in that bitch. And I am a cave diver. So I go in and I see this looming darkness and I swim right into it. And I look behind every corner. I leave no stone unturned. That's where the exciting shit happens. When I'm writing a song, I also like to go deep. I like to explore my deepest, darkest thoughts. This is also where the exciting shit

happens. This is where I find my truth. Songwriting is a direct line of communication with the truth. In song, you can say things you can't say out loud to anybody else. Not your friends, not your therapist, not your mom. When I'm feeling anything intensely, I know it's time for me to write a song. I don't hide from my emotions. I dive into them. You can write a song and you cannot tell the truth, but your song will suck. So, if you would like to write a good song, you have to be honest.

You have to sit with yourself and let your truth come, whatever it is. This sounds simple, but where it can lead is profound. Songwriting teaches you that all emotions are valid, deserving of curiosity and deserving of a voice the song called tick tock i wrote that when i was 21 yeah it was way before the app don't blame me um i was feeling very playful I was a young nihilist. I didn't have too many problems at the time.

That was so fucking nice. And the dumber the lyrics got, the better the song got. And I thought these feelings, they were kind of frivolous. They were just a guilty pleasure. But those exact emotions, that youthful, playful, pure stupidity, made TikTok connect globally in ways I could have never imagined. Now let me take you to a very different point in my life. It was 2017, and I had to make a boundary that affected every corner of my life. I found myself in a very ugly litigation

with the same person who I had signed the rights to my recorded voice to. I had lost the rights to my voice. And in that, I felt as if I had lost the rights to myself. It was very public. It was very public. It was very painful. I was very angry. So I did what I do with all my emotions, and I wrote my way through it,

and that led me to a song called Praying. Sunday, maybe you'll see the light song called Praying. I hope you're somewhere praying Praying I hope your soul is changing Changing I hope you find your peace Falling on your knees Praying Thank you.

Thank you. So after TikTok, I wondered if anybody would connect to these uglier emotions coming from me. I'm like, I'm the girl who brushes her teeth with a bottle of Jack, you know. And also, who wants to listen to an angry woman? Turns out a lot of fucking people do. That was the first time I was nominated for a Grammy. It's the first time I performed at the Grammys. And I've heard from many people going through their own struggles that this song helped them in some way.

I dove deep into the pain. I didn't hide from it. I alchemized it into something healing, not only for me, but inadvertently for other people. I'm now probably going to cry. I'm now in a drastically different point in my life. On March 6, 2024, I've gained back legal rights over my own voice. And with it, a newly found freedom for the first time in nearly 20 years.

It's funny how you can lose the rights to your own voice, but you can never lose the rights to your truth. Throughout this journey, songwriting has been my therapist, my best friend, my lover, my drinking buddy, and my higher power. It's where I can be truly honest. And I don't claim to be an expert on much, but I've experienced over and over and over how you can create art out of emotion, and through that process, not only heal yourself, but help heal others. And I believe there's an artist in every single one of us. Creation is just exploring.

It's becoming childlike. It's not judging yourself. So I encourage all of you to not be afraid of the intensity inside of you. The stupidity, the rage, the anger, the darkness, all of it. Dive into it. Explore it. And I want to remind you that whether or not you are free, you are entitled to your truth. Find your medium, whatever speaks to you, and let your truth come. You never know who else will need to hear it. You never know who else can heal from it. Please don't take this for granted. I'd like to share a song I wrote recently. No one has heard this. This is the first time I have shared a new song since I have owned my voice as an adult woman. So this song is called Cathedral. And now back to the episode. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Baby, I've been baptized

Been bathing in the moonlight I surrender, so take your time I'm summoning my divine Tried it all to numb the pain. But nobody ever stayed. It could be too much to even take. Look what you find when there's nothing left to lose. I kept on running, just gasping for breath.

Nothing to trust in, cause nothing was left. I pray when I'm desperate, I'm down on my knees. Oh my God! Coming home, life was so lethal. I'm the savior, I'm the altar, I'm the holy ghost. Pain was my ritual, fear my religion. I was the one who needed forgiveness. I'm the cathedral Let it in, sunlight It feels good, that's alright Touch my skin, love my pain away God forgive all my mistakes Maybe redemption lies in the dark

My happy endings through my broken heart Hope is a madman that hides in my mind Oh my God I'm the cathedral Finally coming home Life was so lethal I'm the savior, I'm the altar, I'm the holy ghost Pain was my ritual, fear my religion

I was the one who needed forgiveness I'm the cathedral Who I once was, she seemed so far I've had to sacrifice her from the start I'm born again with every scar I can't control what's written in the stars Been on my knees, begging for God She's there inside of me, she was just lost

On my mind, look at what caused Darkness leads into light all along I'm the cathedral, finally coming home. Oh God, it feels good. I'm the savior, I'm the altar, I'm the holy ghost. Every minute is a new beginning I died in the hell And I'm finally living again In the cathedral

I'm the cathedral. me, you know I love staying in Airbnbs when I travel. They make my family feel most at home when we're away from home. As we settled down at our Airbnb during a recent vacation to Palm Springs, I pictured my own home sitting empty. Wouldn't it be smart and better put to use welcoming a family like mine by hosting it on Airbnb? It feels like the practical thing to do, and with the extra income, I could save up for renovations to make the space even more inviting for ourselves and for future guests. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.ca slash host. That was Kesha at TED 2024. If you're curious about TED's curation, find out more at TED.com slash curation guidelines. And that's it for today. TED Talks Daily is part of the TED Audio Collective.

This episode was produced and edited by our team, Martha Estefanos, Oliver Friedman, Brian Green, Autumn Thompson, and Alejandra Salazar. It was mixed by Christopher Faisy-Bogan. Additional support from Emma Taubner, Daniela Balarezo, and Will Hennessey. I'm Elise Hugh. I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh idea for your feed.

Thanks for listening. Looking for a fun challenge to share with your friends and family? TED now has games designed to keep your mind sharp while having fun. Visit TED.com slash games to explore the joy and wonder of TED games.