Katy Perry ignored pleas from her team to not reconnect with Dr. Luke for her musical comeback, sparking furious tensions ahead of the release of her new album – which features the 'empowering' upcoming single Woman's World.
The music producer, 50, was embroiled in a highly publicized legal battle against Kesha, 37, in which he was accused of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, with Kesha alleging that Perry, 39, was also a victim – something she denied.
Now, one year after the pair settled, Dr. Luke, whose real name is Łukasz Gottwald, has been listed as a co-producer on Perry’s upcoming single, prompting fury from fans who questioned how she can reconnect with the songwriter to promote female empowerment.
Insiders have exclusively told DailyMail.com Perry was advised against working with Dr. Luke, who together with Swedish songwriter Max Martin, previously produced some of her biggest tracks, but she refused to listen.
‘So many fans are already turning on Katy before she’s even released new music because Dr. Luke worked on this album with her,’ an insider told DailyMail.com exclusively. ‘She is trying to promote it on female empowerment – but working with Dr. Luke screams the opposite.
Katy Perry has reconnected with music producer Dr. Luke on her new album, informally known as KP6
The decision prompted fury from fans who questioned how she can reconnect with the songwriter (pictured), 50, to promote female empowerment
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‘She was advised against working with him and was also advised to tone down the sex appeal – but she is ramping it up. She is listening to no one about how to promote the album, market it, etc.’
The source claimed Perry’s motivation for releasing a new album now was for a ‘paycheck’ after bowing out of American Idol in May and selling her back catalog to Litmus Music for $255 million in 2023.
They continued: ‘All of this comes after she sold her entire catalogue for money. This album isn’t about her showing how she is growing as an artist or her "new era" – it’s about a paycheck now that she’s done with American Idol.’
Kesha and Dr. Luke were locked in a bitter legal battle for nearly a decade from 2014 after she accused him of drugging and raping her back in 2005.
In 2016, she also publicly accused him of raping Perry.
The Grammy-winning producer fired back with a defamation lawsuit of his own, claiming the Tik Tok singer defamed him with her false claims, when she said in a text to Lady Gaga that Dr. Luke raped Perry.
Perry denied that Dr. Luke raped her in a deposition and a New York state judge ruled against Kesha in 2020 saying she had defamed her former producer with the claim, and an appeals court upheld that decision in 2021.
Perry was among the litany of musicians, including Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne, Adam Levine and Taio Cruz, who gave testimony or sworn statements related to the case.
Insiders have exclusively told DailyMail.com Perry, 39, was advised against working with the producer in the wake of his lawsuit with Kesha (pictured in May)
‘So many fans are already turning on Katy before she’s even released new music because Dr. Luke worked on this album with her,’ an insider told DailyMail.com
Dr. Luke and Kesha finally reached a settlement in June 2023 – just a month before the case was set to go to trial.
Perry and Dr. Luke previously collaborated on her hit singles including 2008's I Kissed a Girl, 2010's California Gurls and 2013's Roar.
Soon after the announcement of her new single Woman's World, fans spotted the credit to Dr. Luke on Genius, before Rolling Stone confirmed Perry had ‘put together’ a team including Martin, Stargate, Sarah Hudson, Vaughn Oliver, Rocco Valdes, Theron Thomas – and Dr. Luke.
She was quickly called out for her apparent hypocrisy, with others branding the decision ‘monumentally stupid.’
Kesha, whose full name is Kesha Rose Sebert, also tweeted 'lol' in the wake of the news.
Kesha, whose full name is Kesha Rose Sebert, tweeted 'lol' in the wake of the news of Perry's reconnection with Dr. Luke
Perry showcased her incredibly toned figure on the cover of her upcoming album, which she unveiled on Monday
‘Katy, it’s bad for you girl and from the snippet that I heard the music isn’t even good to be worth all this,’ one person wrote on Reddit.
Another said: ‘Why on earth did she think working with Dr Luke would be a good look for her comeback? Aside from it being a disgusting choice on a personal level, on a PR level it’s just monumentally stupid.’
A third said: ‘Girlie pop doesn’t actually care about empowering women she just wants to be in the spotlight again.’
Perry marked the announcement of the first single from her upcoming album, known informally as KP6, last week, declaring she was entering a ‘new era’ as she posted a picture of herself in a tight white bikini, flashing her underboob, and a pair of metallic armored pants.
She also posted a selfie-video from what appeared to be the set of the music video for Woman’s World showing her in the same outfit lip syncing to the new track.
