Katy Perry is launching a new era of music, and though it’s garnered some excitement, it’s generated some controversy as well due to the reported involvement of Dr. Luke.
It began on Monday when Perry teased a new song titled “Woman’s World” (due on July 11th), which led fans to notice that Dr. Luke was listed as a co-producer on the song’s Genius page. Rolling Stone has since confirmed that Dr. Luke is, indeed, involved in the project, citing a “Capitol Records source.”
Though the two have collaborated on massive hits in the past — like “I Kissed a Girl,” “California Gurls,” “Dark Horse,” and more — many were disappointed that Perry teamed up with Dr. Luke again, especially in light of his high-profile legal battle against Kesha. In the course of that litigation, he was accused of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, with Kesha even alleging that Perry was also a victim.
Perry adamantly denied the claims that she was abused as well, and revealed in 2018 that she “felt pressured” to support Kesha. She also revealed that she felt like “Luke was using me as a pawn” to assert his innocence, and that she was “annoyed” with both the producer and Kesha. She confirmed that the reason Dr. Luke wasn’t involved in her 2017 album, Witness, was because she didn’t want to be seen as “picking a side.”
But even after the 10-year legal battle between Dr. Luke and Kesha ended last summer with a settlement and statements expressing a hope to move on in peace, controversy still surrounds the situation. After news broke that the producer was involved in Perry’s upcoming single “Woman’s World,” Kesha tweeted “lol,” which many are assuming is a response to the circumstance.
Kerry previously alluded to her next project as being her “most personal album ever.” Last winter, she wrapped up her Las Vegas residency, and in February she announced that she would leave American Idol after seven seasons, all to get ready for new music and a tour.
For his part, Dr. Luke has stayed busy in recent years collaborating with artists like Kim Petras, Nicki Minaj, Morgan Wallen, glaive, Polo G, and more. As for Kesha, she released her last contractually-obligated album via Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe Records last May, and finally parted ways with the label in December.
