Gag Order (album)

Before the release of her fourth album, High Road, Billboard published a cover story about the singer stating that she already had a "gorgeous folk album that is just waiting for its moment to shine," but the release would depend on her ongoing legal battle.[3] Kesha announced the album on April 25, 2023.[4] It was entirely produced by Rick Rubin.[5] The album title is supposed to reflect the situation she has been under due to the legal case against producer Dr. Luke, leaving her unable to speak or comment on it.[6] Labeled "post-pop" and "emotional exorcism", the project finds Kesha at her most vulnerable.[7] In a Rolling Stone interview, she revealed that releasing the album feels like "giving birth to the most intimate thing" she has ever created, citing anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic and spiritual experiences of the previous three years as main influences. According to her, the record bundles up emotions "of anger, of insecurity, of anxiety, of grief, of pain, of regret". Guest appearances include her mother Pebe Sebert and her 8-year-old niece Luna on "Only Love Reprise".[8]

The cover art for Gag Order depicts Kesha with a plastic bag over her head. Brian Roettinger, who worked on the album artworks for Rainbow and High Road, designed the album cover and visuals for the project. The photo for the album cover was taken by Vincent Haycock. Roettinger also served as the creative director.

In the months leading up to the song's release, Kesha revealed portions of the song to fans. In early 2023, she live streamed portions of several songs on Instagram, as well as releasing versions of "Eat the Acid" and "Fine Line" onto SoundCloud, before eventually removing them.[9] Kesha got her own hashflags on Twitter if you tweet #Kesha, #GagOrder, or #EatTheAcid. The hashflags consist of the Gag Order logo, the plastic bag from the cover art, and the green chair from one of the promotional images, respectively. Select fans who entered the sweepstakes contest after pre-saving the album were mailed an envelope containing signed posters and lyric cards for the album. A QR code on the poster led to a video message from Kesha.[10] The official track-list was revealed on 2 May 2023, however Kesha commented on an Instagram post indicating she did not know about the reveal. Three days later, all the lyrics to the entire album were made available for download on her official website.[11]

Both "Eat the Acid" and "Fine Line" were released on April 28, 2023, as lead singles for the album. The third single release, "Only Love Can Save Us Now", was released on May 17, 2023.[12]