Yeah, maybe don’t pretend you’re super into women’s rights while working with an alleged abuser
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Katy Perry
Katy Perry shared details of her upcoming album 143 — named after the Nineties pager code for “I love you” — on Wednesday (July 10), revealing that the long awaited project will be arriving on September 20 via Capitol Records. As Rolling Stone previously reported, Perry reunited with some producers of her previous works, including Stargate, Max Martin and, most controversially, Dr. Luke. In 2023, Kesha and Dr. Luke settled their bitter, nine-year legal battle before it was scheduled to go to trial. The producer claimed Kesha defamed him in 2014 when she made the “false and shocking” allegation that he drugged and raped her after a 2005 party.
At one point in the legal battle, Perry was brought into the conversation. In a deposition dated July 21, 2017, and released in August 2018, Perry denied allegations that Luke raped her. She also said she was never given a roofie by Luke, never in a sexual or romantic relationship with Luke and never told anyone — even jokingly — that Luke raped her. The claims were part of Luke’s defamation lawsuit against Kesha, with Luke’s team claiming then that Kesha told Lady Gaga in a text message conversation that Luke had raped Perry as well. Kesha, in turn, responded saying that her and Gaga had been both told that information first by a major label CEO.
With Dr. Luke’s controversial past and in light of his legal battle with Kesha, a number of fans took to social media to express disappointment in Perry’s choice to reunite with the producer. “I’m sorry but I can’t listen to any new Katy Perry song that is written and/or produced by Dr Luke,” one fan tweeted, for example. “I don’t like Dr Luke for many reasons and I just can’t personally support his career. I’m sorry Katy but I am very disappointed.
The singer announced her follow-up to 2020’s Smile last month, teasing an excerpt of the track featuring the lyrics, “Sexy, confident / So intelligent / She is heaven-sent / So soft, so strong.” Further lyrics continue the “feminine divine” theme and general attempts at female empowerment. However, the song immediately raised eyebrows as it appeared to be produced by Lukasz Gottwald — aka “Dr. Luke.” Yes, the same producer who Kesha has accused of drugging and raping her, starting almost a decade of lawsuits (Dr. Luke has denied the allegations).Amid the speculation, Kesha simply tweeted, “lol.” Rolling Stone subsequently confirmed that Dr. Luke is working on Katy’s sixth album.
When did Katy Perry stop working with Dr Luke?
Dr. Luke coproduced many of Perry’s early hits, but they haven’t collaborated since 2013. In 2014, Kesha sued Dr. Luke for sexual abuse.
What does 143 mean in Katy Perry?
The 13-time Grammy-nominated artist said that while the experience was “trippy,” finding out that the angel number is “like code for ‘I love you'” gave her a sense of comfort. Katy Perry attends the “Diane von Furstenberg – Woman In Charge” Premiere at Silencio Des Pres in Paris on June 24, 2024.
Who produced Katy Perry’s new song?
The track was produced by Dr. Luke, Vaughn Oliver, Aaron Joseph and Rocco Did It Again!. and marks her first proper release since 2020’s Smile, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200. “Woman’s World” serves as the lead track to Perry’s upcoming, long-awaited dance-pop album, 143, which is code for “I love you.”