Kesha says she’s going to re-record her debut single “TiK ToK”

Celebrating the 15 year anniversary of the release of her first hit, “TiK ToK,” Kesha announced to social media that she planned to re-record the track once she has “the legal rights to.” The pop star co-wrote the track with Benny Blanco and Dr. Luke, the latter with whom she was locked in a years-long legal battle after Kesha alleged her producer and record label owner had sexually assaulted and abused her. She was finally able to leave Luke’s label, Kemosabe Records, in late 2023, and released her first single as an independent artist in July. 

As she charts a new career course with “Joyride,” Kesha has continued to show love to her old songs and play them during live performances. But there is one other aspect of the song that’s become more problematic in retrospect: that famous opening line, “Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy.” In the wake of the abuse and assault allegations against Sean Combs, Kesha took the stage to preform the song with Renée Rapp at Coachella and altered the line to “Wake up in the morning saying Fuck P. Diddy.” The latter controversy seems to be the crux of why Kesha has decided to re-record “TiK ToK.” 

“TiK ToK was the first single that I put into this world that had my voice AND my name credited!!!!” Kesha wrote on Twitter/X. (Her previous collaboration with Flo Rida, “Right Round,” didn’t credit her performance.) “I remember making it fun and happy because that’s how I felt and wanted others to feel. What I’m so proud of is that’s how this song STILL makes me feel, through it all, and those are emotions I want all of us to connect to. 15 (!!!!!!) years later, I see this song as a snapshot into the way I saw the world at the time. That girl was naive and wild and playful. This song eternalizes a side of myself that I love very much, and now see I have to protect fiercely. The world has changed so much and so have I.”

TiK ToK was the first single that I put into this world that had my voice AND my name credited!!!! I remember making it fun and happy because that’s how I felt and wanted others to feel. What I’m so proud of is that’s how this song STILL makes me feel, through it all, and those… pic.twitter.com/Ewz6CBMGFH

— kesha (@KeshaRose) August 7, 2024

The post continued, “I absolutely love the new lyric change. (Shout out to @reneerapp) Yes it is permanent. I will re-record it when I have legal rights to! Now, my first baby stands for so much. It stands for fiercely protecting my fun and unadulterated joy, in myself and in others. The whole ride has been absolute insanity, but the JOY is still riding. I hope you all can find 3 1/2 minutes of play in this song and connect with your wild child-like joy.”

Many artists have re-recorded old work throughout the years in order to regain control of their music, none more famously than Taylor Swift. (As it happens, Swift once donated $250,000 to Kesha in the midst of her legal battle with Dr. Luke.) In Swift’s case, she was able to undercut her former record label and the new owner of her masters by creating her own “Taylor’s Versions,” which gave her full control of the songs. Unfortunately, it’s not so simple for Kesha to liberate her old tunes, as Dr. Luke wasn’t just the exec in charge but a producer and co-writer on her first two albums—he’d still be entitled to compensation. Nevertheless, re-recording with the lyric change is a way to reclaim the song from at least one alleged abuser, so keep an eye out for the eventual “TiK ToK (Kesha’s Version).”