Katy Perry is working hard on her sixth studio album, but her controversial collab is ruining all the massive praise she previously received for her political views.
Perry is no stranger to controversies. The singer declared in 2012 that she was not a “feminist,” which proved that she was confused about the term, as her quote to Billboard magazine continued that she did “believe in the strength of women.” Two years later, she admitted she was a feminist. “Uh, yeah, actually,” she proudly admitted. “I used to not really understand what that word meant, and now that I do, it just means that I love myself as a female and I also love men,” she said, via HuffPost. She was still very confused about it back then, but she didn’t stop learning.
This year, Perry scored major internet points after her most recent efforts. One of them was editing NFL kicker Harrison Butker’s controversial speech with an encouraging one, showing her support for women and the LGBTQ+ community. On top of that, she won people’s hearts after publicly speaking out for Palestine, a gesture that convinced people to support Perry. However, that seems to be going down the drain with her recent collaborations for her upcoming album.
Katy Perry is going back to her “Teenage Dream” era
Katy Perry wanted to make sure she got the best sound for her upcoming album, so she worked with some of the people she collaborated with for her previous albums Teenage Dream and Prism. Among the names were popular producer Max Martin, Stargate, and controversial writer Dr. Luke, which didn’t sit well with Perry’s fans, especially since the song is ironically titled “Woman’s World.”
You might be familiar with Dr. Luke from his extended lawsuit with singer Kesha, who sued him in 2014 for allegedly sexually, physically, and emotionally abusing her. The lawsuit ended in 2016 when a judge did not rule in her favor. Dr. Luke countersued for defamation, and the legal battle ended in 2023 after almost a decade with a settlement, with neither party giving up their side of the story.
Shortly after Katy Perry’s announcement, Kesha seemed to shade Perry online, writing, “lol” on her X account. Naturally, the internet is on her side and dragged Perry for not being a girl’s girl.
Other online comments said, “We will not be supporting,” and others noted, “how you gon call your lead single “Woman’s World” then work with Dr Luke.” another user wrote, “Katy, you’re just killing your comeback. We do NOT want that terrible man. I can’t believe you’re continuing to work with him after everything he’s done to Kesha, you, and so many other artists. This is DISGUSTING.”
What is even more surprising is that Kesha and Katy Perry used to be quite close in the late 2000s, hanging out and going to parties together. Kesha also appeared in Perry’s music video for her breakout song, “I Kissed a Girl.” Back in 2018, Perry denied that she was ever abused by Dr. Luke (despite Kesha’s claims that she was also a victim), and admitted that she “felt pressured” to support Kesha, as per People. She also said that she was caught between the two, and felt like “Luke was using me as a pawn” to prove his innocence. She didn’t want to pick a side, which is why Luke wasn’t involved in her 2017 album Witness.
Of course, Max Martin and Dr. Luke were behind Perry’s biggest hits like “I Kissed a Girl,” “California Gurls,” “Last Friday Night, “Dark Horse,” “Roar,” and more. However, that doesn’t seem to be an excuse for any of the fans who are currently dragging Perry, who, it seems, just wants another hit album.