Thousands of music lovers gathered at Grant Park on Thursday for the kickoff of Chicago's biggest music festival, Lollapalooza.
Kesha's performance on Thursday began with a powerful word displayed in large text on the IHG Hotels & Resorts Stage screen: “Freedom.”
The crowd erupted as she kicked off with her 2010 hit “Tik Tok,” featuring the revised opening line, "Wake up in the morning yelling, f--- P-Diddy," displayed on the screen behind her.
During her performance of "Backstabber," Kesha held a prop knife and shouted the lyrics, "Katie’s to my left, rippin’ my style," which fans linked to her ongoing feud with Katy Perry. However, these are actually the song's original lyrics.
Energized by the intensity of her song "Woman" from her 2017 album "Rainbow," Kesha asked, “Did y’all hear that this country being run by childless cat ladies? Can someone tell that motherf - - - - - J.D. Vance that he’s correct and that it feels so f - - -ing good!”
“I’m so happy right now — the only thing I miss is my kitties,” Kesha said.
“Can someone bring out my pussies?” she called out. Her dancers then crawled on stage wearing stuffed cat heads, mimicking a burlesque-style version of "Cats," clawing and cleaning themselves. The crowd went wild.
Next came a clip of Kamala Harris' viral moment, “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” which transitioned into another classic Kesha hit, “Blow.” A four-piece drum line joined the performance, giving it a circus-like atmosphere.
“It was the first time more than five people came to see me play — I remember I was so f - - - ing terrified that I would be judged,” she said, reflecting on her first Lollapalooza performance and sharing how she has faced relentless and harsh criticism throughout her career.
“But now, standing here as the woman I am right now, I can see that all of that hate has made me into one powerful f - - - ing mother f- - - - -,” she proclaimed to loud cheers.
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