The crowd at the Billboard Music Awards stood with Kesha.
Although the pop star didn’t address her ongoing legal battle with producer Dr. Luke — who she claims sexually assaulted her — during her performance at Sunday’s awards show, the audience showed their solidarity by rising in a lengthy standing ovation following her song, the biggest the night had seen up until that point.
Kesha was initially forced to back out of her scheduled Billboard performance amid fears from Luke’s label, Kemosabe Records, that she’d address the suit. The label later OK’d the performance, provided she agreed to not speak about the situation.
On Sunday, the 29-year-old sang a cover of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe,” dressed in a Dylan-esque suit, with Ben Folds at the piano. The duo performed the tune earlier in the week, too.
Despite some possibly telling lyrics, Kesha said on Facebook that she chose the Dylan song not as a dig to Luke but because, “I simply wanted to sing a song I love to honor an artist I have always looked up to.”
Artists including Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga have previously voiced their support for Kesha.