For over a decade, it was the ultimate party starter. You know the vibe. Synthesizers bubbling up like cheap champagne, the sound of a digital alarm clock, and that nasal, iconic drawl: "Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy." It was 2009. Kesha—then styled as Ke$ha—was the messy-glitter queen of pop. She was the girl who brushed her teeth with Jack Daniels and made being broke look like a high-fashion choice. "TiK ToK" wasn’t just a song; it was a cultural reset that stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for nine straight weeks.
But things aren't the same in 2026.
The world changed. Kesha changed. And honestly? That opening line became a massive, uncomfortable elephant in the room. If you’ve seen her live lately, you already know the original lyric is dead and buried.
The Coachella Moment That Flipped the Script
The real turning point happened during Coachella 2024. Kesha didn't even have her own set; she was a surprise guest during Reneé Rapp’s performance. When the beat for "TiK ToK" dropped, the crowd went feral.
But instead of the usual shout-out to the Bad Boy mogul, Kesha and Rapp both held up their middle fingers and screamed: "Wake up in the morning like, f* P. Diddy!"**
The internet basically imploded. It wasn't just a random ad-lib. It was a statement. By that point, Sean "Diddy" Combs was facing a mountain of federal charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering. For Kesha, a woman who spent nearly ten years locked in a grueling legal battle with her former producer Dr. Luke, the connection was visceral.
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She wasn't just changing a rhyme. She was reclaiming her "first baby."
What "Kesha Wake Up in the Morning Feeling Like" Actually Meant
Back in the late 2000s, "feeling like P. Diddy" was shorthand for being untouchable. It meant waking up with swagger, wealth, and a "pimp" energy that didn't care about the consequences.
Kesha actually wrote the line after waking up in a house full of "beautiful women" and feeling like a total boss. It was supposed to be lighthearted. Naive.
"I remember making it fun and happy because that’s how I felt and wanted others to feel," Kesha shared on Instagram. "That girl was naive and wild and playful."
Then the "Gag Order" era happened.
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If you haven't followed her career closely, you might have missed her transformation. After her settlement with Dr. Luke in 2023, she stopped being the "party girl" caricature the industry forced her to be. She became an independent artist.
The 2025 release of her album Period (often stylized as .(PERIOD)) solidified this. She’s no longer interested in protecting the legacies of powerful men.
Can She Actually Change the Song Forever?
Here is the tricky part about the music business: Kesha doesn't technically own the original master recordings of "TiK ToK." That’s why you haven't seen the "F*** P. Diddy" version on Spotify yet.
She has been very vocal about her plans to re-record her old hits once she has the legal clearance. It's the Taylor Swift maneuver, but with a lot more grit. In the meantime, the lyric change is "permanent" for all live shows.
During her current Tits Out Tour (which is running through July 2026), she hasn't looked back once. Whether she's playing in London or Sydney, the "f*** P. Diddy" line is the new standard.
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Why the Shift Matters to Fans
- Solidarity: It aligns her with other survivors in the industry.
- Artistic Control: It proves she isn't a puppet for her old hits.
- Cultural Context: Let's be real—singing about Diddy in 2026 feels gross.
The Evolution of a Pop Icon
Seeing Kesha on stage now is a trip. She’s 38. She’s been through the ringer. She lost years of her prime career to courtrooms and NDAs.
When she says "Kesha wake up in the morning feeling like..." and fills it with her own name or a defiant curse, it’s a victory lap. She’s finally "feeling like" herself.
The song used to be about the party never stopping. Now, it’s about the fact that the party did stop, the lights came on, and she was the one left standing.
If you’re heading to see her on the European leg of her tour this spring, don't expect the 2009 version. That girl is gone. The woman who replaced her is much more interesting.
What You Can Do Next
If you want to support Kesha's new era, the best thing to do is stream her independent work like the album Gag Order or her latest 2025 release, Period. These projects are where she actually makes the money, rather than the old hits tied up in legacy contracts. You can also keep an eye on her official social channels for news on the "TiK ToK" re-recording, which she has promised to drop the second the legal ink is dry.