Kesha writes essay on pressures of maintaining unrealistic body image

Rising Star expert Kesha has written an essay about her reasons for entering rehab, including the constant pressure of trying to keep up an unrealistic body type.

The “Timber” singer writes in Elle UK:

“Sure, I’ve written songs about partying, but my dirty little secret is that I’m actually incredibly responsible. I take my music and career very seriously, and certainly didn’t land in this situation from partying. But I was cut off from the outside world and I imagined people making up stories at a time when what I really needed was support.”

She then highlighted the pressures of body image that is perpetrated by the music industry:

“The music industry has set unrealistic expectations for what a body is supposed to look like, and I started becoming overly critical of my own body because of that. I felt like people were always lurking, trying to take pictures of me with the intention of putting them up online or printing them in magazines and making me look terrible.”

Kesha recognized the dichotomy of being known as someone outspoken in opposition, via her work, to these false kinds of societal expectations with anthemic songs like “We R Who We R” and “Warrior” while also living a life of doubt about her own self-image:

“I felt like a liar, telling people to love themselves as they are, while I was being hateful to myself and really hurting my body. I wanted to control things that weren’t in my power, but I was controlling the wrong things. I convinced myself that being sick, being skinny was part of my job. It felt safer somehow.”

You can read Kesha’s entire piece via scan here.