Kesha talks new song ‘Praying’ and trying to hug Jerry Seinfeld

Kesha is free.

After a protracted legal battle over sexual assault allegations against producer Dr. Luke, the pop star is releasing new music that might surprise fans of her signature party anthems.

Praying, a ballad alluding to that struggle, marks Kesha’s official comeback, and she stopped by Hits 1 in Hollywood on Thursday to discuss how the song shatters the “taboo” of mental health issues.

“I think it’s healthy to talk about feeling really down sometimes, because life can be a f***ing bitch sometimes,” she said. “And I think the beautiful part is that you hold onto hope and you don’t give up, and you keep going and you keep showing up for yourself, and for me it was 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.”

She also joked about her infamous, failed attempt to hug Jerry Seinfeld on a recent red carpet.

“I had a moment where I was thinking to myself, ‘Wow, maybe I should stop trying to hug everyone and, like, attack them.’ And then I was like f*** that, no. I love hugging,” she said. “Hugging is magical. Hugging is beautiful.”

Luckily, an embrace with another legend restored her faith in the gesture.

“My idol in life, Bob Dylan, agreed to meet up with me because we were playing the same festival, and I was like, I didn’t know. I was so scared because I had just got hug-denied. I was like a little hug-traumatized,” she said. “So I walked up and I just kind of like stood there and smiled and he just opened his beautiful arms and gave me the most wonderful, healing Bob Dylan hug that I have ever dreamt of.”

What would she say to Seinfeld now? Listen to the clip below to find out.

Hits 1 in Hollywood airs weekdays from 4-7 pm PT on SiriusXM Hits 1 (Ch. 2).

(AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)