Kesha is celebrating a major musical milestone and has big plans to cement the legacy of her first single, “TiK ToK.” On Wednesday, the 37-year-old singer took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the single’s 15th anniversary and share her plans to re-record the song after recently making a change to the infamous lyric that mentions Sean “Diddy” Combs.
“‘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,” Kesha began her post. “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.”
She continued: “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.”
“I absolutely love the new lyric change,” she wrote, adding thanks to singer Reneé Rapp. “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,” Kesha concluded her post. “I hope you all can find 3 1/2 minutes of play in this song and connect with your wild child-like joy❤️”
Kesha debuted the new lyrics to “TiK ToK” in April, when she made a surprise appearance during Rapp’s set at Coachella.
Taking to the stage in Indio, California, wearing a tank top that read, “I am mother,” the singer made a clear statement in the opening line of her 2010 song.
“Wake up in the morning like f**k P. Diddy,” Kesha and Rapp both shouted, flipping the bird at the massive crowd. The original lyric was “wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy.”
The lyric change came as the producer and rapper faced an onslaught of legal battles, including accusations of sex trafficking. The 54-year-old is the subject of several civil lawsuits accusing him of a range of sexual misconduct and other illegal activity — and more recently made headlines after CNN published a video showing him physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie Ventura, in 2016
It’s a particularly poignant change for Kesha, who recently ended her nine-year legal battle with her former music producer, Dr. Luke.
And Coachella wasn’t the first time Kesha has tweaked the lyrics to “TiK ToK.”
In November 2023, shortly after Cassie settled her lawsuit against Combs, Kesha performed on her Only Love Tour at the Los Angeles Hollywood Palladium, singing, “Wake up in the morning feeling just like me.”
As for Combs, the rapper has kept a low profile amid his variety of legal entanglements. He temporarily broke his silence in the wake of the CNN released video to say he takes “full responsibility” for his actions in the video.
The footage was obtained and published by CNN and dated March 5, 2016 shows Combs grabbing, shoving, dragging, and kicking his then-girlfriend in clips compiled from multiple camera angles. The footage corresponds to an incident highlighted in Ventura’s explosive 35-page lawsuit, in which she made graphic and disturbing allegations against Combs, including a claim that he raped her in 2018.
Ventura, 37, also spoke out after the video was shared, writing in an Instagram post that seeing the “outpouring of love” has allowed her “younger self to settle and feel safe.”
She went on to say that the response is “only the beginning,” noting that domestic violence “broke me down to someone I never thought I would become.”
“It takes a lot of heart to tell the truth out of a situation that you were powerless in,” she wrote. “I offer my hand to those [who] are still living in fear. Reach out to your people, don’t cut them off. No one should carry this weight alone.”
Calling her “healing journey never ending,” Cassie said that the support she has received “means everything to me.”
The rap mogul’s not only embroiled in multiple lawsuits, but he’s also at the center of a federal investigation that appears to be tied to sex trafficking allegations. Combs’ attorney denied the claims against the artist while decrying law enforcement’s tactics following a raid at Diddy’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami.
In a statement to ET, HSI would only say that the raids were “part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners.”
At this point, it’s unclear if any of the litany of sexual assault lawsuits filed against Combs are tied to the raids. But a source previously told Rolling Stone that four Jane Does and one John Doe had already sat for interviews with investigators for a probe related to an alleged sex trafficking and RICO case, and additional interviews have also been scheduled.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential.
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