Arts & Entertainment
Kesha releases vulnerable new single and video
Kesha has just released a new single from her upcoming album, and it reveals a softer side of the musical superstar than we’re used to seeing.
The rapper, singer and songwriter dropped a video for the song on Monday. Titled “Resentment,” the track comes from her forthcoming album, “High Road,” and also features Sturgill Simpson, Brian Wilson, and Wrabel. Originally written by Wrabel, Madi Diaz, and Jamie Floyd, with co-writing from Kesha and production by John Hill, publicity material describes the tune as an exorcism of “relationship toxicity.”
According to the press release:
“Resentment” is a touching, country-tinged reflection on being done wrong by a lover and holding onto that negativity. Additional music will be added to the much-anticipated new album, which will now be released January 31 via Kemosabe/RCA Records. January will also find Kesha announcing a nationwide headlining US tour as well as appearing as both a performer and chat guest on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
On “Resentment,” Kesha displays some of the purest vocals of her entire catalog, tenderly singing alongside the supporting voices of Simpson, Wilson and Wrabel who each complement her with palpable earnestness.
Commenting on the inspiration behind the track, Kesha found that “resentment is such a powerful and destructive emotion and in my experience is more complex than hate or anger,” while of the collaborators on the song she said “Brian Wilson is one of my personal musical heroes, so when he said he would collaborate with me on the recording…that moment was one of the most exciting in my career. Then add in Sturgill who I respect and admire so much, as well as my close friend the insanely talented songwriter Wrabel, and this record felt more like a dream than just another song to me.”
The video for the track is unlike anything Kesha’s released before, an intimate self-shot video recorded on her iPhone 11 Pro that compliments the raw emotion of the song.
You can listen to the track here, or watch the video below.
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(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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