Review: “Clarity” by Kim Petras

Kim Petras has spent a few years releasing singles, produced by an alleged abuser, and an EP, produced by an alleged abuser. She’s finally dropped her debut album, also produced by an alleged abuser. Rating: 0/10

By Felix Kalvesmaki,
co-Editor-in-chief

Content warning: this article contains discussion of rape and sexual assault/abuse.

I’ll be honest. On occasion, I’ve streamed Kim Petras’ “1,2,3 dayz up.” It’s pop gold: lyrics not overthought, production not understated. It’s gleeful and euphoric and free, a genuinely fantastic song. I give credit, obviously, to Petras’ penchant for the perfect hit single. I give credit, obviously, to featured producer and Grammy-nominated artist SOPHIE, for spilling her ink on this canvas.

Unfortunately, I must also give credit, obviously, to Dr. Luke, who is credited alongside SOPHIE as a producer. Dr. Luke, real name Lukasz Gottwald, is credited with most of Petras’ discography, along with plenty of major pop acts over the past few decades. If his name sounds familiar, it may be because you’re a fan of Katy Perry, Kesha or Marina and the Diamonds. Or Kelly Clarkson. Charli XCX. The Backstreet Boys. Pink. Avril Lavigne. Miley Cyrus. Nicki Minaj. Miranda fucking Cosgrove.

Gottwald is culturally omniscient, much like Weinstein, Spacey or R. Kelly. Similarly to those three men, he’s also an alleged abuser and rapist. Kesha’s highly publicized court case against him, which not only dealt with her accusations of abuse, but nearly killed her career, isn’t exactly ancient history. And even after the courts ruled in his favor, he’s still going after Kesha for everything she has: he’s working on trying to acquire a cut of her earnings from “Rainbow,” her defiant album hallmarking a dissent against Gottwald. You may remember the heart-wrenching ballad “Praying,” which detailed her survivor’s strength.

I’m not assuming stupidity or ignorance here. I figure the general public is rather familiar with these allegations. But perhaps a harsh reminder is in order, as critics and fans alike seem to conveniently forget Gottwald’s atrocities when it comes to critique of Petras’ music. Rather, lack thereof.

Pitchfork, Uproxx, NME, the Guardian. Critics from these outlets have sung the praises of Petras’ latest album “Clarity.” And if I’m being honest? I’m sure they’re right to do so. It’s probably incredible. It’s probably caffeine, sunshine and wine coolers. But it’s also co-written and produced by a man who, I will once again remind you, is an alleged fucking abuser. And that should disqualify it from the shameful 7.2 Pitchfork awarded it. It should disqualify it from getting Uproxx’s “stamp of approval,” dubbing it some of the best music of this year. It should disqualify it from its four-star reviews in NME and the Guardian. I didn’t listen to this album, because I don’t want to support an alleged rapist. I’m giving it a 0/10, because I don’t want to support an alleged rapist.

I have another issue with this Pitchfork review. Here reads the paragraph Jamieson Cox published on Petras, and her relationship with Gottwald:

It’d make for a heartwarming underdog story — an aspiring star moves to Los Angeles to make it in the music business, writing songs and crashing on couches until the dream comes true — if her chief creative partner wasn’t Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald, the superproducer-turned-pariah whose career entered a precipitous decline after Kesha accused him of sexual assault and physical abuse. When Petras has been asked about or criticized for working with Gottwald, her responses are equivocal but unapologetic: “While I’ve been open and honest about my positive experience with Dr. Luke, that does not negate or dismiss the experiences of others or suggest that multiple perspectives cannot exist at once,” she tweeted last July. “I do want to express my sympathy for any and all abuse victims.”

Cox’s inclusion of Petras’ comment seems to act as a sort of shrug-off. “Well, yeah, this dude, according to women who’ve worked with him, is one of the biggest assholes in the music industry right now, but one woman said he was pretty cool to her, so, who’s to say?” It’s all very lukewarm, and I don’t think it’s radical of me to say that you should have a viscerally hot or cold stance on alleged abusers who’ve built their careers on the backs of women they’ve hurt. That stance, to play the role of moral police, should be that you, at the very least, give a good chunk of your word count towards a caveat like this. More than a paragraph that refuses to dig its feet into the ground, for certain.

And Cox of Pitchfork is not alone. Other reviews of her record acknowledge, but ultimately dismiss, Gottwald’s actions in order to sing Petras’ praises. Caitlin White, in her review for Uproxx, said that while listening to “Clarity” may spur some cognitive dissonance, the “pristine perfection” of the album is “impossible to ignore.” I’m going to unpolitely disagree, and offer up that it’s incredibly easy to ignore: just don’t fucking listen.

Like I said, I’ve streamed a song of Petras’ before. A few of them, even. But I feel an immense amount of guilt for doing so. I don’t plan on doing it again. Maybe not everybody decides that listening to an alleged abuser’s music is bad, but at the very least, insert enough nuance into your criticism to acknowledge the harrowing history of the producer whose work you laud.

It’s not lost on me, by the way, why people may disregard Gottwald’s involvement. Petras is open about being a trans woman, and her ambitions of being the first openly trans pop star. That’s a valiant goal, and one I’ll be willing to support her in achieving if she steps away from Gottwald. But it’s toxic to fuel the idea that people- — especially LGBT+ people — should be willing to shrug off sexual assault for the sake of representation, especially when we’re more likely to experience some sort of sexual harassment, assault or abuse. I, as a queer, non-binary person, refuse to accept Petras as any sort of representative for myself, or my community. I know we can do much better than someone so milquetoast as to enlist an alleged rapist to help propel her into stardom.

Petras is complicit in a potential Dr. Luke comeback, and that deserves vehement criticism. Her referring to an alleged rape as a difference of perspective is thoughtless at best, and cruel at worst. Just as we should suppress the attempted “redemption” (read: forgive and forget without consequence or rehabilitation) of people like Louis C.K., we should reject the notion that Gottwald deserves to return to the world of pop music. Furthermore, we should reject the notion that it’s okay for Petras to hold the door open for him.

I’ll remind you of what Lady Gaga said of Gottwald and Kesha, as I think a wake-up call, a cold shower and a shot of espresso are necessary here. “[Kesha] told me that he used power and manipulation in some fashion or some type of verbiage,” she said, according to Billboard. “I am not repeating exactly the words that came out of her mouth, but that he used power and manipulation to control her, and that she had been given a happy pill, that he offered her something and that she took it, and that she woke up and didn’t remember, and that’s what she told me.”

“That girl has experienced serious trauma and she is in the middle of it right now. And you are all a party to it.”