Katy Perry is ignoring criticism after reconnecting with controversial producer Dr Luke, with sources claiming she believes he is crucial to ensuring she makes a successful musical comeback.
The 39-year-old Dark Horse singer sparked controversy last month when it was revealed that Dr. Luke, 50, co-produced her new single Woman’s World, which is being marketed as a feminist anthem, along with other songs from her upcoming sixth studio album.
But, confidential sources claim that Katy He was desperate to collaborate with the Grammy-nominated producer, despite his long-running court battle over sexual abuse allegations, due to his previous chart success with songs like I Kissed A Girl and Teenage Dream.
“She understands it’s controversial to be working with Dr Luke again, but they work so well together and have such a rapport that she knows him in a different way than others might,” a source told DailyMail.com.
‘Your relationship with Dr. Luke is important.
Katy Perry is ignoring criticism after reuniting with Dr. Luke. Sources told DailyMail.com that she believes he is crucial to ensuring her comeback is successful.
The 39-year-old Dark Horse singer sparked controversy last month when it was revealed that she had teamed up with the music producer on her new music.
‘So working with him again is something that doesn’t worry her, although it does worry many fans.
“She’s scared because the music world today can be fickle, with artists appearing one minute and gone the next, but she’s thrived before.”
They continued: ‘Katy is ready to overcome obstacles and believes in her new album and her work. A lot of people want to see her fail, but she uses that as motivation.
“She’s eager to promote her album and prove everyone wrong. She wants this to be her rebirth.”
Dr. Luke, real name Łukasz Sebastian Gottwald, is behind many of Katy’s career-defining hits, including 2008’s I Kissed a Girl, 2010’s Teenage Dream and 2013’s Roar.
The music producer was locked in a bitter legal battle with Tick Tock singer Kesha, 37, for nearly a decade beginning in 2014 after she accused him of drugging and raping her in 2005.
He also claimed that Katy was a victim, something she denied. A New York state judge ruled against Kesha in 2020, saying she had defamed her former producer with the allegation, and an appeals court upheld that decision in 2021.
Amid legal wrangling, Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds called on the musicians to stop working with Dr. Luke in 2019, and in 2021 Doja Cat stated she would not collaborate with him.
“She understands it’s controversial to work with Dr Luke again, but they work very well together and have a great relationship,” a source told DailyMail.com.
The Roar singer has also changed her image ahead of her new album as she enters her “new era” (pictured, left, in 2023 and on the set of her new music video, right)
The couple finally reached an agreement in June 2023, just a month before the case was set to go to trial.
In addition to hiring Dr. Luke to make sure her comeback is a success, Katy also drastically changed her look for her “new era.”
She announced her new single with a photo of herself in a tiny white bikini before wowing onlookers at last month’s Balenciaga show in Paris, where she was photographed topless beneath a fur coat, prompting fans to accuse her of copying Kayne West’s wife Bianca Censori.
“For Katy, leaving American Idol, reinventing herself for her new music and being a few years away from becoming a mother, she’s looking to go full throttle with a fresh twist and her sexy new look,” the source added.
DailyMail.com has contacted Katy’s representative for comment.
Fans took to social media to express their condemnation of her decision to work with Dr. Luke, while others highlighted her apparent hypocrisy.
Kesha, whose full name is Kesha Rose Sebert, also tweeted “lol” following the news.
Days later, Katy went viral after appearing to dodge a question about her work with the producer.
Last year, Dr. Luke settled a defamation lawsuit with Kesha after she claimed in a 2014 lawsuit that he had sexually and physically abused her (pictured in 2011)
Katy’s new single, Woman’s World, will be released on July 11th, with the music video following the following day.
The pop star was confronted as she left a Paris Fashion Week event, according to footage obtained by TMZ.
As she made her way through the crowd, one fan asked the star bluntly, “Isn’t your album about women empowerment? Why are you working with Dr. Luke?”
The fan was greeted with silence as Katy quickly slid into her chauffeured SUV.
A member of his team tried to close the car door while the fan was speaking but a security guard intervened.
It is unclear whether the mother-of-one deliberately ignored the fan’s question or was simply drowned out by the noisy crowd.
Sources previously claimed that Katy was advised not to work with Dr. Luke, but she refused to listen.
“A lot of fans are already rooting for Katy before she’s even released new music because Dr. Luke worked on this album with her,” they told DailyMail.com.
‘She is trying to promote female empowerment, but working with Dr. Luke proves otherwise.
Kesha, whose full name is Kesha Rose Sebert, tweeted “lol” following news that Katy and Dr. Luke were collaborating again.
“She was advised not to work with him and to tone down the sex appeal, but now she’s turning it up. She’s not listening to anyone on how to promote the album, market it, etc.”
The source claimed Katy’s motivation for releasing a new album was a “paycheck” after retiring from American Idol in May and selling her back catalog to Litmus Music for $255 million in 2023.
They continued: “This all comes after she sold her entire catalog for money. This album isn’t about showing how she’s growing as an artist or her ‘new era’; it’s about a paycheck now that she’s done with American Idol.”
Katy will release her new single Woman’s World on July 11th with the music video to follow the following day.