USG reveals Kesha, PartyNextDoor as Homecoming co-headliners

Benjamin VanHoose

The Kent State Undergraduate Student Government took to its Twitter account Sunday to announce the performers for Homecoming weekend. Singers Kesha and PartyNextDoor will co-headline the show set for Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. at the M.A.C. Center.

Kesha, best-known for hits like “TiK ToK,” “Your Love Is My Drug” and “Timber,” was most recently in the news for dropping sexual abuse charges against producer Lukasz Gottwald. After pursuing legal action against Gottwald in 2014, Kesha’s career has been put on hold, tangled in contractual disputes.

“I need to get my music out,” she posted to Facebook on Aug. 1. “This lawsuit is so heavy on my once free spirit … The support of my fans has been so beautiful and I’m so grateful for it.”

Fans rallied behind the pop singer using the hashtag #FreeKesha during the court case.

Now, Kesha reportedly submitted 28 new songs to her record label, with the hopes to release an album in the near future. Her most recent single is “True Colors,” a collaboration with Zedd.

Canadian hip-hop songwriter PartyNextDoor will also bring his music to Kent State. After catching the attention of music icon Drake, the performer has dropped three albums—the most recent, “P3,” made its way to number one on the R&B Billboard charts.

PartyNextDoor’s list of notable tracks includes “Break From Toronto,” “Recognize” and “Come and See Me.” He also wrote Rihanna’s popular single “Work” from earlier this year.

This concert is part of many festivities scheduled for Homecoming weekend, including a parade led by 2016 Grand Marshall Josh Cribbs, a former NFL player and Kent State alum.

Tickets for the concert are on sale to students online and at the M.A.C. Center ticket office, $35 for floor seats and $30 for upper level. Doors will open at 6 p.m.

Benjamin VanHoose is an assigning editor for the Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected]