17 Quotes That Prove Kesha Is, and Always Will Be, a Warrior

Kesha might have made her name with upbeat party jams like "Tik Tok" and "We R Who We R," but she has a whole lot more to offer than lyrics about brushing her teeth with the remnants of last night's Jack Daniels. The singer, who recently found herself at the unfortunate and unfair mercy of the legal system, is not only a supremely talented songwriter, but she also has plenty of wise words to share with the world. Keep reading to see Kesha's most inspirational quotes, then check out her beautiful new song, "Rainbow."

On Being True to Herself
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On Being True to Herself

"My whole message is to love who you are and accept all your beautiful imperfections. When I felt I was slipping into unloving territory with myself, I knew I had to listen to my own advice and correct it. . . . I felt I needed to get help, not only for myself but also for my fans. My worst fear in life is to be fake." — Teen Vogue

On Defying Gender Norms
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On Defying Gender Norms

"I don’t love just men. I love people. It’s not about a gender. It’s just about the spirit that exudes from that other person you’re with." — Seventeen

On Acceptance
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On Acceptance

"I have channeled my feelings of severe hopelessness and depression, I've overcome obstacles, and I have found strength in myself even when it felt out of reach. I've found what I had thought was an unobtainable place of peace. This song is about coming to feel empathy for someone else even if they hurt you or scare you. It's a song about learning to be proud of the person you are even during low moments when you feel alone. It's also about hoping everyone, even someone who hurt you, can heal." — Lenny Letter (on her new single, "Praying")

On Following Her Dreams
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On Following Her Dreams

"I was never the cool kid, I was never hot in high school. I was never popular. You don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to be rich and you can still be successful." — V Magazine

On Being Brave
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On Being Brave

"I know that I have balls. I have bigger balls than a lot of the men that I meet. I’m just a ballsy motherf*cker. I’m not afraid of pushing boundaries. That’s what you have to do to become an icon." — Glamour

On Learning to Laugh at Herself
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On Learning to Laugh at Herself

"I’m very much into making fun of myself because other people do it so you have to be able to laugh at yourself. The sooner you can laugh at yourself, the easier your life will be." — Seventeen

On Not Worrying About What People Think of Her
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On Not Worrying About What People Think of Her

"If people get me or people don’t get me, I really can’t worry. Somebody said to me, ‘I didn’t know if you were some wild party girl or if you were in on the joke, but I get it now.'" — V Magazine

On Overcoming Stereotypes
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On Overcoming Stereotypes

"People told me, 'You shouldn't be singing.' I went through awkward, chubby, total weirdo phases. I was in a marching band. Did you ever think a little, chubby, awkward girl with braces in the marching band would be number one on top of the pop charts? No, you wouldn't." — Today

On Determination
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On Determination

"If anyone tries to tell you that you can’t do what you want to, I think you should give them the finger and do it anyway." — V Magazine

On Her Longevity in the Music Industry
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On Her Longevity in the Music Industry

"As annoying as you think I am, I'm not going anywhere, so you might as well get used to it." — Today

On Doing Her Own Thing
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On Doing Her Own Thing

"You can be fun and sexy and still care about issues. I'm excited that people are starting to listen to what I have to say." — USA Today

On Refusing to Be a Victim
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On Refusing to Be a Victim

"You can be a victim and let that eat your soul, or you can say, ‘you’re going on my list, and I’m going to prove you wrong.'" — Seventeen

On Not Taking Things Too Seriously
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On Not Taking Things Too Seriously

"I think people can stand to take themselves just a little less seriously. I’m fighting the war against pretension." — Billboard

On Finding Peace
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On Finding Peace

"For me, God is not a bearded man sitting in the clouds or a judgmental, homophobic tyrant waiting to send everyone to eternal damnation. God is nature and space and energy and the universe. My own interpretation of spirituality isn't important, because we all have our own. What matters is that I have something greater than me as an individual that helps bring me peace. This is one of the reasons why I love swimming way, way out into the middle of the ocean and just letting the sea carry my body. It is my greatest form of surrender to the universe, a full-body prayer — or meditation." — Lenny Letter

On Freeing Herself From Her Past
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On Freeing Herself From Her Past

"There's a line in 'Rainbow' that I really love: 'What's left of my heart is still made of gold.' I truly believe that. It's true for me, and it can be true for others, too. I know giant pieces of my heart have been held captive in the past. But not anymore. And what's left is f*cking pure gold, and no one can touch that." — Refinery29

On Surviving What Life Throws at You
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On Surviving What Life Throws at You

"There is light and beauty after the storm, no matter how hard things get." — CBS This Morning

On Being Authentic
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On Being Authentic

"Don't let people scare and shame you into changing the things about yourself that make you unique and interesting. Those are the qualities that will make your life so magical. That bad girl, I don't give a sh*t attitude, it'll work for a while, and you will get a dollar sign tattooed on your hand that will last forever probably. But the truth is, you don't need to put on an act. You can just be Kesha Rose Sebert and guess what? Apparently that's good enough." — CBS This Morning