A Message to Artists: If You Want to Make a Feminist Anthem, Don’t Work With a Monstruous Rapist
I thought that was pretty obvious.
Sometimes pop stars fall off. They either accept the hand of fate and live out the rest of their careers fading gracefully into obscurity or dig their claws into the ditch of celebrity stagnation and try to claw their way out of it.
With her recent release titled “Woman’s World,” it’s clear that Katy Perry has chosen the latter. The pop star, who’s had nothing short of a successful career, released the single this week, a month after its initial announcement where she lipsynced to a snippet of the song to rouse excitement for her next album, “143,” which comes out on Sept. 20. This makes “143” her first album in four years.
Once Perry’s announcement hit social media, brows were raised as rumors swirled that Perry was collaborating with Dr. Luke to create the single. Dr. Luke (real name Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald) is an American producer and songwriter who’s had a hand in producing some of the biggest pop hits of the era, such as “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus, “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson, and multiple Katy Perry hits.
The producer had been in a legal battle with singer Kesha, who sued him in 2014, accusing him of drugging and raping her in 2005. This led to a decade-long series of suits and countersuits. During this time, other artists like Lady Gaga, Lorde, and Ariana Grande voiced their support for Kesha at the height of the #MeToo movement.
Katy Perry testified during the trials in favor of Dr. Luke. This followed a series of texts between Kesha and Lady Gaga, where Kesha implied that Perry was also raped by the producer. Perry, however, denied these claims and maintained her support for Dr. Luke.
The controversy surrounding Dr. Luke is well-documented, and his continued involvement in the music industry remains a point of contention. For an artist like Katy Perry, who has built a brand around empowerment and female strength, choosing to work with a figure like Dr. Luke is a baffling, yet unsurprising, move.
The optics of releasing a feminist anthem while collaborating with someone accused of such serious misconduct are, at best, problematic and, at worst, deeply hypocritical.
The reception to this single has been overwhelmingly negative. Not only is the song just bad in general (with several critics giving the single bottom-of-the-barrel ratings) but its message is vapid and disingenuous, diluted by the collaboration and marred by the music video’s visuals, which come off as male gaze-y and dated.
“Woman’s World” could have been a powerful statement in a time when women’s voices are more vital than ever. Instead, it serves as a reminder that the music industry often prioritizes hits over ethics, and fame over integrity. For fans who look to Perry for inspiration, this collaboration is a disappointing misstep that undermines the very message she aims to promote.
In an era where the personal and political are increasingly intertwined, the choices artists make behind the scenes are as impactful as the music they produce. If you want to make a feminist anthem, it might be worth considering the implications of your professional alliances. After all, actions speak louder than words, and in this case, the dissonance between Perry’s message and her actions is deafening.
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