In a highly judgmental culture, today’s youth have an immense amount of pressure on them, which can lead them to develop mental illnesses that can add on pre-existing conditions. One Singer who has been in their place, however, has stepped up to bring these teens a positive message. Kesha Rose Sebert, better know as Kesha, has been using her music and popularity platform to get her message across.

Kesha has dealt with the depression, eating disorders, and emotional and possible sexual abuse from one of her music producers according to Vox. “I would roll out of bed and I would get in the car and I would drive to the studio and keep making songs, and that was my way to cope with how I was feeling depressed,” Kesha told SiriusXM. Due to a contract, she couldn’t sever ties with her producer, Dr. Luke and make the music she wanted in an environment that felt safe.

The singer went to court to try to break out of her contract, but the court ended up siding against her. It looked very apparent that she felt defeated and had pain covering her soul.

However, once her contract with Kemosabe Records dissolved, she became a free spirit once again.

This experience drained her. She made strides to become happier, and her audiences got that influence too.

Her first album free from her producer, Rainbow, gave listeners inspirational advice. The lyrics show the star’s thankfulness for such a hard chapter in her life to end. This album became of tool for Kesha to bring back her creative self free her from a state of depression.

Kesha’s message has landed into the palms of teenagers to enjoy her music learn how she lives.

22.2 percent of adolescence have have mental illness with severe impairments some time before they are 18 according to The Child Mind Institute,  

”Whenever I got a bad grade on an assignment, I would feel like I wouldn’t be able to recover.” Junior, Adam Knight, said,”Over the years, I’ve realized living in the past won’t make anything better.” Knight relates to the lesson Kesha has to teach and he acknowledges that when he looked at his negative past, it was a bitter voice inside his head.

The premise of leaving the past behind and learning to let go has become more common today in our modern pop culture and seems to have some noticeable changes towards the new generation. Kesha’s most notable song from Rainbow, “Praying,” becomes an anthem for loving yourself for who you are and what you don’t regardless of what others think . One of the lyrics says, “I’m proud of who I am/No more monsters, I can breathe again/And you said that I was done/Well, you were wrong and now the best is yet to come.”

These powerful lyrics suggest that the singer wants her life and all of the aspects of it to have more freedom in it, and nothing from her past will stop her. Teens with depression, anxiety, or any other mental illness have a new message to listen to from kesha that’s helping them move along in life.

“The past shouldn’t have a big influence, it still should hold some influence on your life.” Haley Ely, junior, said, “If you made a mistake; then obviously, you’re gonna learn from it, and not make the same mistake again because of what happened the first time.” Ely elaborates on her thoughts on the past, “If I was more outgoing, then I wouldn’t have missed out on so many experiences that I might’ve enjoyed.”

The impact of Kesha and others with a similar message have impacted youth by making them look through a filter filled with hope. Kesha gives off this more free feeling that falls down over the people, who understand her point of view. In “Let ‘Em Talk” Kesha lets loose and and uses her creativity and says,”Do your thing, don’t care if you make ’em jealous/We’re the kings, life is just our party palace”

She has shown her public the strength of her message through her personal experiences. She sets a kind of precedent for all people to follow and admire, by means of overcoming so much hardship like, multiple forms of abuse and an eating disorder.

Kesha uses her platform to show her power and to inspire everyone. She shows that life shines brighter if you look towards the rainbow itself and not the storm clouds that caused it. Kesha sings in “Rainbow”,”You gotta learn to let go, put the past behind you/Trust me, I know, the ghosts will try to find you/But just put those colors on, girl/Come and paint the world with me tonight”