Kesha | John Cain Arena | Melbourne | 22nd February
There are concerts that feel like polite showcases of rehearsed routines, and then there are shows that feel like a collective exhale. On Sunday night, Kesha didn’t just bring her Tits Out Tour to John Cain Arena, she brought a manifesto of autonomy that was as raunchy as it was liberated.
The night opened with one of the most iconic pop songs of the 2000s. “TiK ToK” still detonates the second it starts, and in that arena it sounded anything but nostalgic. Before the first verse even settled, the crowd was already screaming the updated lyric, “Fuck P. Diddy,” in complete unison. It didn’t feel like a cheap shock factor moment. It felt deliberate. Like the song had been pulled out of its past and rewritten on her terms.
Since leaving Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe Records and RCA in 2023, Kesha has steadily rebuilt her career on her own terms. With the launch of her independent label, Kesha Records, through Warner’s ADA, this tour feels less like a comeback and more like a reset. She’s not just performing the old catalogue. She’s reclaiming it.
From there, the energy never dipped. Kesha moved through a high-velocity setlist that favored momentum over nostalgia, trimming tracks like "C’Mon" and "Warrior" into lean, club-ready versions that kept the floor in a state of constant motion.
True to the tour’s title, the night was unapologetically provocative. This wasn't "PG" pop. The choreography was heavy on skin, sweat, and sexual agency. Dancers in latex and warrior-glam aesthetics blurred the lines between a stage show and a high-end club, with movement that was tactile, raunchy, and intentionally touchy.
The arena was packed with a devoted crowd of girls, gays, and theys who turned the floor into a space of pure, uninhibited energy. It felt less like we were watching a performance and more like we were all part of one big, shared moment of letting go. Whether she was leaning into the bratty textures of "BOY CRAZY" or the bass-heavy grit of "Sleazy," the vibe was one of reclaimed confidence.
Since her 2025 revelation that she had quietly ended a secret engagement after her own songwriting helped her realize she didn't want to get married, her single era has become a core part of her identity. She spoke candidly about the power of loving yourself first and the peace that comes with realizing you don't need a partner to be whole. It was a moment that turned the arena into a massive support group before she swung the energy back into the celebratory joy of "Your Love Is My Drug."
The show ran just over an hour. Short, sharp, no filler. By the time “We R Who We R” closed the night, the arena was still buzzing, sweaty and loud. It was clear she’s not chasing pop perfection anymore. There were rough edges. Vocals weren’t always pristine. Some transitions felt chaotic.
But that’s part of what made it work.
The Melbourne stop of the Tits Out Tour wasn’t about polish. It was about release. About doing it on her own terms. And for an artist who has spent years fighting for exactly that, it felt less like a performance and more like a victory lap.