From one strong woman to another, Natalie Maines knows what it's like to fight public perception and an uphill battle. So her choice to cover a new Kesha song seems like a natural fit.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Maines uploaded a clip of her singing Kesha's new song "Bastards" to Instagram. Armed with nothing more than a guitar and her iPhone, Maines belts the emotional chorus.
"But life's too short," Maines sings. "Don't let the bastards get you down. Don't let the assholes wear you out."
She captioned her video sayings "My first try at a Kesha cover." She continues, "I love her new album Rainbow!" Watch the impressive clip below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYSjPY0n2g8/
The cover racked up more than 28,000 views and 330 comments. And then Kesha caught wind of the post, too.
"I'm honored to have this strong motherfvckin woman choose to sing a song that's so special to me," Kesha tweeted, including the clip of the video. "Slightly dying with happiness." Followed by not one, but six heart emojis. So you know she means it. Kesha wrote the song by herself.
Kesha released Rainbow on Aug. 11. She recorded the album during and after a stint in a rehab clinic to battle an eating disorder between 2014 and 2016. She partially attributes her disorder to producer Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, who sued her after she alleged he raped and emotionally abused her.
The legal battle that pursued took years and included several emotional twists and turns for the embattled pop singer. Although it isn't yet resolved, Kesha resumed recording and released her new album.
Rainbow debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 117,000 copies in its first week.
READ MORE: Dolly Parton to Appear on Kesha's Rainbow
As a member of The Dixie Chicks, Natalie Maines endured public scrutiny and an upheaval of the band's record-setting career after making negative comments about President George W. Bush in 2003. The band went on to release the most successful album of their career and recently completed one of the most popular tours of the decade.
