Kesha, the multi-talented artist known for her rave-ready shows and thought-provoking anthems, has big plans! She recently released the details around her latest venture, Smash. At 38 years old, Kesha is expanding her influence in the music industry by creating a “community-based platform to connect and protect music creators.” This project dovetails perfectly with her newly launched eponymous record label, which she unveiled last year.
Smash’s mission is to build an inspiring space for artists to come together, exchange ideas and tools, and keep ownership of their work. In addition to serving as a retreat for Kesha, the space will give musicians opportunities for free expression and community. She expressed her goals for the platform, stating, “I want a place where artists and music makers of any kind can have community, they can collaborate, they can hire each other and retain all the rights to everything they create.”
Kesha’s commitment to artists’ rights is reflected in Smash’s mission to center these rights at every step of the process. This initiative represents a real turning point for the music industry, an industry that has a long history of making ownership and fair compensation difficult for many creators. Through a lens of community and collaboration, Kesha wants to ensure that her fellow musicians are equipped to reclaim their art.
Along with her artistic talents, Kesha’s education plays a large role in her entrepreneurial efforts. She received her B.A. in English from University of Pennsylvania. In addition, she was a Princeton in Asia Fellow in Laos. These experiences inform her craft as a storyteller and collaborator and she brings this energy into her practice.
Kesha’s artistic exploration has included much more than plaintive revenge anthems wrapped in glitter and glam. Her song about brushing your teeth with Jack Daniel’s is a case in point, proving her whimsical approach to songwriting. This combination of heavy themes and playful imagery has captured her audience’s attention and exemplifies her wide-ranging creative passions.
To support the Smash project, Kesha brought on technologist and arts activist Alan Cannistraro to serve as the Chief Technology Officer. Cannistraro’s expertise will help build a robust platform that meets the needs of today’s music creators. Perhaps most significantly, it’s Kesha herself who is financing the seed round for Smash, showing her serious commitment to the business side of this venture.
In an apparent effort to shake the Kesha of yesteryear and start fresh, she’s rebranded herself by getting rid of the dollar sign in her name. This transformation marks an exciting new period in her storied career—a move focused on the idea of being real and more connected to her followers. To drive awareness around Smash, she recently posted about the startup on her personal Instagram feed, focusing on its mission and vision.
