There are artists whom society has quietly forgiven for working with Dr. Luke, but Katy Perry is not one of them. Perhaps in part due to the critical failure that was "Woman's World" — and the low hopes many have for 143 — it's been a hot topic that she worked with Kesha's alleged abuser for such abysmal results. After keeping quiet on the subject for some time, Perry has finally broken her silence — well, kind of.
The singer appeared on a recent episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, where host Alex Cooper asked why she chose to work with him. To call what Perry said a response would give her too much credit, since she pivoted back and forth before landing on an unrelated, un-nuanced take on feminism.
"Look, I understand that it started a lot of conversations, and he was one of many collaborators that I collaborated with. The reality is, it comes from me," she said without really saying anything. "The truth is, I wrote these songs from my experience of my whole life going through this metamorphosis, and he was one of the people to help facilitate all that."
This somehow quickly turned into a rant about her being a mother: "When I speak about 'Woman's World,' I speak about feeling so empowered now, as a mother, as a woman, giving birth, creating life, creating another set of organs — a brain, a heart. I created a whole ass heart! And I did it, and I'm still doing it, and I'm still a matriarch!"
Though many big names in pop still work with Dr. Luke after he and Kesha settled out of court, there is precedent for them to quit. Doja Cat said she wouldn't "work with him again" after catching heat for his involvement on Planet Her and "Say So."