A Timeline of Katy Perry Working With Dr. Luke
Written by Zoe Guy, a journalist who reports on movies, television, music, and famous individuals
Katy Perry and producer Dr. Luke have been spotted together. This is indicated by a photo illustration created by Vulture, using photos from Getty Images.
Katy Perry has a strong working relationship with the well-known producer Dr. Luke, which has been very successful for her. He produced her first No. 1 single, "I Kissed a Girl," as well as many other hit songs from her second album, Teenage Dream, such as "California Gurls," "E.T.," and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)." Perry has chosen to work with Dr. Luke again on her upcoming sixth album, aiming to return to the commercial success she once experienced. She sees him as the perfect person to guide her back to the days when her songs from Teenage Dream were constantly on the radio and she was dominating the Hot 100 charts in 2010.
Despite all of his success, it is important to note that Dr. Luke is facing a lawsuit for sexual assault and battery in 2024. Despite this, artists like Kim Petras, Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat, City Girls, Lil Durk, and others continue to collaborate with him. Back in 2014, Kesha made headlines when she sued Dr. Luke, claiming he drugged and sexually assaulted her, as well as subjected her to emotional and psychological abuse. Now, as Katy Perry prepares to release her new album, 143, on September 20, there are questions surrounding her relationship with Dr. Luke.
On August 28, 2018, Kesha filed a lawsuit against Dr. Luke, who then countersued her for defamation. Perry gave a statement in court denying that Dr. Luke raped her, stating that the accusations were false. The allegations arose from a text Kesha supposedly sent to Lady Gaga in 2016 claiming that Dr. Luke had raped Perry. Kesha's representatives maintain that she was not spreading misinformation.
On February 7, 2020, a judge in the New York Supreme Court decided that Kesha made false statements about Dr. Luke when she said he raped Katy Perry. The judge, Jennifer G. Schecter, stated that Perry testified that Dr. Luke did not rape her. Kesha was unable to present any evidence to support her claims, leading the judge to rule in favor of Dr. Luke. The judge emphasized that there is no proof that Dr. Luke raped Katy Perry, and Perry's testimony was clear and trustworthy.
On June 19, 2024, Perry revealed that she will be working with Dr. Luke and Max Martin on her next album. A source from Capitol Records confirmed to Rolling Stone that Katy had a clear vision for her album and assembled a talented team to bring it to life. This team includes familiar faces like Luke, Stargate, Max Martin, and Sarah Hudson, as well as new collaborators Vaughn Oliver, Rocco Valdes, and Theron Thomas. Perry gave fans a sneak peek of her new song "Woman's World" on TikTok and Instagram, which is set to be a powerful anthem for women, inspired by the feminist movements of the 2010s.
Kesha almost dismisses the news with a laugh and a short tweet that says, "lol."
On July 11, 2024, Perry debuted her song "Woman's World." Vulture journalist Justin Curto suggests that singing about empowerment and unity while using music created by a suspected rapist requires a certain amount of conflicting thoughts.
Abigail Breslin, famous for her roles in the movies Little Miss Sunshine and Miranda's Victim, believes that Perry's choice to collaborate with Dr. Luke is very concerning. "I'm just stating... collaborating with well-known abusers in any field only adds to the idea that men can do terrible things and face no consequences," she posts on Twitter. "Also, I am a big fan of Kesha and she put on an amazing show that I attended last year. Make sure to listen to Kesha's music!"
