After months of silence, Katy Perry explains why she recruited Dr. Luke to help produce her next album.
The 13-time Grammy nominee returned to music in July after a four-year hiatus spent judging on “American Idol” and raising her young daughter. But her lead single, “Women’s World,” was credited after fans called out Luke “Dr. Luke” Gottwald in the feminist anthem. Last year, Gottwald settled a decade-long legal battle with pop star Kesha, who in 2014 fired the producer for accusing him of drugs and rape nine years earlier.
Perry was forced to explain his decision to bring Gottwald on board his new project, much to the “disappointment” of fans, during an appearance on Alex Cooper on Wednesday. “Call your father” podcast.
“Look, I understand that he started a lot of conversations and he was one of the guys I worked with, but the reality is that it’s from me,” Perry said. “The truth is that I wrote these songs from my entire life’s experience going through this metamorphosis. And he was one of the people who helped facilitate it all.”
The singer went on to say that her new music is “really based” on “feeling so empowered now as a mother and wife.”
“That’s where I came from,” he said. “And so I created all of this with a few different collaborators, people I worked with in the ‘Teenage Dream’ era.”
Perry previously collaborated with Gottwald on her No. 1 single “I Kissed a Girl,” as well as other hits “Hot n Cold,” “Last Friday Night (TGIF)” and “California Gurls.” Gottwald last worked on Perry’s 2013 album, “Prism,” but was uncredited on “Witness” (2017) or “Smile” (2020), both of which came after Kesha’s sexual assault allegations against the producer.
Perry became embroiled in the lawsuit between Kesha and Gottwald when the former claimed that the “Never Really Bar” singer was also a victim of Gottwald’s abuse, a claim Perry denied.
In 2018, Perry said that she “I felt pressure” to support Kesha. He also revealed that he felt Gottwald was “using me as a pawn” and that he was “angry” with both parties.
Kesha and Gottwald issued a joint statement last June after settling numerous lawsuits and lawsuits.
“Only God knows what happened that night,” Kesha said of her rape in part of her statement. “As I have always said, I cannot tell you everything that happened. I look forward to closing the door on this chapter of my life and starting a new one. I wish nothing but peace and stability to all concerned.”
Gottwald added: “While I appreciate Kesha again and recognize that she can’t talk about what happened that night in 2005, I am absolutely certain that nothing happened. I never drugged her, I didn’t abuse her and I never would. I have been fighting hard to clear my name for almost 10 years. It’s time to move on from this and move on with my life.”
In addition to Perry, Gottwald has worked with artists Kim Petras, Doja Kat and Nicki Minaj since Kesha filed her first lawsuit against the producer in 2014.
