Katy Perry has responded to recent backlash over her working with music producer Dr. Luke.
The 39-year-old singer sparked outrage earlier this year when it was revealed she had collaborated with the producer on her forthcoming sixth studio album, 143.
In a lawsuit filed in 2014, Dr. Luke was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting singer Kesha back in 2005. The suit was settled last year.
Speaking on the latest episode of Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast on Wednesday, Katy explained her controversial decision to work with the producer.
“I understand that it started a lot of conversations and he was one of many collaborators that I collaborated with. But the reality is, it comes from me,” Katy explained. “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. One of the writers, one of the producers. I am speaking from my own experience.”
Dr. Luke wrote and produced several songs on the new album, including Lifetimes and Woman’s World. He has also worked on Katy’s previous hits including Teenage Dream, California Gurls, I Kissed a Girl and more.
Katy went on to explain that she felt “empowered” while working on her new music.
“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 a** heart! And I did it, and I’m still doing it,” she told the podcast host. “I’m still a matriarch and feeling really grounded in that, that’s where I’m speaking from.”
The singer then reiterated that she made the album with “several different collaborators, people that I’ve collaborated with from the past, from Teenage Dream era. All of that”.
Woman’s World, the lead single from 143, was released in July to largely negative reviews from critics and failed to break the top 50 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her album, 143, will come out on 20 September.
