Kesha Receives Standing Ovation for Stunning, Emotional Bob Dylan Cover at BBMAs
Kesha killed it at Sunday night's Billboard Music Awards with an emotional cover of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe," accompanied by singer-songwriter Ben Folds on the piano.
Dressed in a white suit embellished with rainbows and broken hearts, Kesha sang a subdued but powerful cover of the legendary song, earning a heartfelt standing ovation from the audience.
The 29-year-old also rocked a Prince-inspired purple suit on the red carpet earlier in the night.
Kesha's appearance at the awards show had been in doubt over concerns that she would not be given approval to perform by Kemosabe Records.
The "True Colors" singer is embroiled in a lengthy legal battle with Kemosabe founder, Dr. Luke, over a breach of contract lawsuit in New York. Kesha has accused Luke, real name Lukasz Gottwald, of drugging and raping her; claims which Luke has denied, calling them "outright lies." A sexual assault case involving those allegations has been put on hold while the breach of contract case is resolved.
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However, Kemosabe approved Kesha's performance after receiving assurances she would not use the platform to speak about her case. "Approval was only suspended when Kemosabe learned Kesha was to use the performance as a platform to discuss the litigation," Kemosabe told ET in a statement last Thursday. "Now that Kemosabe has obtained assurances, that it is relying upon, from Kesha, her representatives and Dick Clark Productions that neither Kesha nor her supporters will use the performance as such a platform, the approval has been restored."
Kesha has seen an outpouring of celebrity support since her battle with Dr. Luke became public, including from Lady Gaga who used the #FreeKesha hashtag to voice her support in a tweet that compared Gottwald to the Little Mermaid villain, Ursula.
"Isn't it strange that it's legal to own a woman this way? Listen Ursula, we want her voice back. #freeKesha," she tweeted.
Check out the video below for Kesha's powerful cover of Gaga's Oscar-winning song about surviving sexual abuse, "Til It Happens to You."
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