The hashtag #FreeKesha has made headlines and has captured the attention of many, from Instagram, to Twitter, to all over the internet. Singer Kesha Rose Sebert, known as just Kesha, made her mark in 2008 and since then, with her producer, Dr. Luke, and his record company, Kemosabe Records (also a partner company with Sony), Kesha has only continued to thrive in the music industry, claiming the top charts with her hits “TiK ToK” and “We R Who We R” along with her two studio albums. However, in 2014, Kesha sued Dr. Luke, accusing him of drugging and abusing her sexually, physically, and emotionally, and after a series of battles between the producer and the artist, Kesha’s case has been ruled out by the court.
On April 6, after denying her preliminary injunction on Feb. 19, the New York Supreme Court ruled against Kesha, throwing out her claim that his abuse constituted a hate crime. With this contract still in place, Kesha must record her next six albums under his record company, however, may work outside of the influence of Dr. Luke. Although Kesha is free from producing with Dr. Luke, the court ruled that she must still remain in her contract with his company Kemosabe Records and Sony, making it unable for her to express her “artistic independence” and “creative freedom.”
In response to the court’s ruling of the case, fans, celebrities, and the general audience have shown their support for Kesha. Taylor Swift donated $250,000 in support of Kesha, however, received backlash from Demi Lovato who accused Swift of using her money to help as opposed to speaking out about the issue. As this may be a situation in which focus on social media and disputes among celebrities may begin to overshadow the real issue of Kesha’s battle, the large attention from celebrities and on social media platforms may have a positive impact.
“Bringing the issue to court is a big step, and a good one as well, as it is important for her to stand up for herself. The presence on social media helps as the problem is not covered up and the issue of abuse is brought to light,” says senior Monika Kepa.
The abuse of women in the music industry has been prevalent throughout the years, but has not been brought to the public eye like Kesha’s has. Although pop icons Cyndi Lauper and Lady Gaga stated that they had been sexually assaulted in their teen years while working with the industry, they did not take the issue to court or mention it to the public until years later. As the music industry, and the entertainment industry in general, dominated by males, women fear retribution. With Kesha’s case and the problem of abuse brought to the spotlight, more have become aware and have taken action.
Kepa says, “Abuse is a difficult issue with negative impacts such as suicide, depression, and more, so with it being all over social media, people become more aware that this issue is not to be taken lightly.”
However, amidst all of the attention and hashtags pleading to “free Kesha,” there is backlash that the focus should be more on punishing Dr. Luke, rather than just freeing Kesha. According to the Hollywood Reporter, “Freeing Kesha, after all, benefits one individual. Dropping the Doctor arguably benefits many others.” As Kesha may be free from his influence, future artists who work with him may potentially be exposed to his actions, if allegations are true. Junior Suzie Lee believes the opposite saying, “We should definitely be more focused on getting Kesha out first. From there, and from all of this controversy, it is already clear that Dr. Luke should be avoided by future singers.”
While Kesha specifically claimed that Dr. Luke intoxicated her, raped her, gave her “sober pills,” and that his actions has impacted her health, including a contribution to her bulimia, he countered that “Kesha’s repudiation of this contractual relationship, and her and her mother’s ongoing campaign [extorted] a release by tarnishing Gottwald’s reputation [that] has caused damage.”
Lady Gaga and Kelly Clarkson, who have also worked under Dr. Luke’s record label, as well as other A-listers, including Adele, Ariana Grande, and Lena Dunham, and expressed their support through social media. Lady Gaga tweeted, “There are people all over the world who love you @KeshaRose. And I can say truly I am in awe of your bravery,” as did Lena Dunham, who stated, “We are not scared anymore of losing what we worked for, of being branded hysterical or difficult, of being targeted and silenced by men in power. The women in the music industry speaking out for Kesha are proof. And their words will reverberate, inspiring the young women watching them for clues about the good life to speak up too. Soon, no one will accept shame and fear as the status quo.” Not only has Kesha’s case brought light to the issue of women abuse in the music industry, but has also placed an emphasis on women and their rights in general.
Sophomore Monica Ma says, “It’s really bad how this happened in the first place, and also how the judge denied her request. Women should not feel vulnerable so it is important that people take a stance against this and make others more aware.”
