Kesha’s “Backstabber” has returned with a finished music video, 16 years after the song appeared on her 2010 album Animal. The release has revived interest in the track and prompted some fans to call for her to headline the 2027 Super Bowl halftime show.
The video had circulated online before in an unfinished form. Its official YouTube debut on October 26 gave fans the completed version, turning a long-vaulted release into a fresh moment for a song that already had a following.
A song rooted in betrayal
“Backstabber” grew out of a real falling-out. Kesha told Billboard in 2010 that a close friend took her car one night and was also speaking badly about her. “The car is gone, and I was like, ‘What a backstabber!’ And then I found out that she was also talking sh-t,” she recalled, describing how the incident became the basis for a song.
The video gives that grievance a comic revenge arc. Kesha gets the car back, slaps the woman who took it, then drives away as her friends settle their own scores.
Fans celebrate the long-delayed release
Fan responses focused on both the song’s staying power and the appeal of releasing material that has remained out of reach. One commenter argued that more artists should share unreleased work, while another called the track “still PERFECT and ICONIC!”
The video’s classic cars also caught viewers’ attention. One fan singled out the Trans Am, praising its 1960s and 1970s styling and calling “Backstabber” a personal favorite. Others framed the renewed attention as evidence of Kesha’s lasting cultural pull, with one writing that she was “never just a moment.”
That enthusiasm quickly turned into a bigger ask: a Super Bowl halftime performance. “KESHA really deserves to be in the Super Bowl Halftime Show 2027,” one fan wrote. The request is a measure of the release’s reach among longtime listeners, though it doesn’t establish that a booking is likely.
Halftime hopes meet questions about scale
Super Bowl speculation around Kesha isn’t new. A Reddit discussion three years ago asked whether a halftime appearance might be in her future. One fan pointed to her catalog, which spans decades, and suggested her music could keep growing in appeal.
Others were less convinced. One commenter said a major new hit might be needed, arguing that Kesha wasn’t currently a stadium act and had played venues with 3,000 seats on her last tour. Another said she might prefer smaller shows and releasing music on her own terms.
- Kesha paid tribute to Dolly Parton following her passing.
- She had a hilarious encounter with a raccoon trying to invade her home.
- Kesha reveals how her failed album led to her “freedom.”
- The singer slammed Trump for “trying to make light of war” with her song.
- Kesha shaded Diddy with a “TiK ToK” lyric change following his arrest.
For now, the clearest result is a renewed spotlight on a catalog track and a video fans had waited years to see. Whether that momentum translates into a halftime booking is uncertain; the fan response shows the song still has an audience, while the discussion around venue size points to the gap between nostalgia and the scale of the event.
Who could perform in 2027?
The NFL hasn’t announced a performer for the 2027 Super Bowl halftime show. Reports cited in the source point to Jay-Z as a possible headliner, while Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus have also been floated. Puck News has reported that Jay-Z is expected to perform.
Taylor Swift is another name fans have raised, in part because she recently married Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Against that speculation, Kesha’s video release offers a more immediate story: an old song has found a new audience, and listeners are using the moment to make their case for what they want to see next.
