LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kesha says the problem with everyone knowing who you are is that you’re never really alone. That’s why she disappeared into Africa for a month. She says touring is fun but it was a luxury to give up her security team, her makeup and her phone and just walk around with a backpack.

She says being surrounded by a lot of people can lead to an egocentric lifestyle, so to keep herself grounded, she decided to “run around barefoot and sleep in the dirt.” That got her charged up to write her new  album “Warrior,” out today.