Kesha connects with LGBTQ fans over bullying experiences

Pop star Kesha can relate to a lot of the struggles her LGBTQ fans face because she has also suffered through bullying and other tough situations.

The Timber hitmaker admits the strong bond she has formed with members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community is a little bittersweet, because it's their personal troubles which have brought them all together.

"I have always felt connected with the LGBTQ community," she tells People.com. "I think it's because I have been bullied and been through s**t, and I think a lot of my fans who are LGBTQ have been, too. I hate that, but it makes me feel connected to them."

Kesha's more recent woes have been played out in public thanks to her ongoing legal battle with producer Dr. Luke, who she has accused of sexually and mentally abusing her throughout their long working relationship - allegations he has vehemently denied.

The singer has been channeling her emotions into her songs for her upcoming album, Rainbow, and she reveals her brain was overflowing with musical ideas throughout the creative process.

"I fill up all my phone storage really quickly because I wake up in the night to record song ideas that come into my head," she says. "I get woken up by my brain making songs."

One such track was her recent tune Praying, her first solo single in four years, which she previously explained conveys her feelings of "severe hopelessness and depression".

Having soldiered on through a tumultuous few years, Kesha is now focused on using her career to become "a voice for equality".

"Art is connecting and healing," she adds. "I want to perform until I am rickety as I don't have a back-up plan. I don't know what I would do."

Kesha's Rainbow album is set for release on 11 August (17), while her accompanying tour, her first in four years, will kick off in September (17).