After allegedly suffering abuse atunder the hands of Grammy-winning producer Dr. Luke, Ke$ha finally took action to remove herself from the situation, only to have her request be denied. Due to her heavily negotiated contract and the $60,000,000 that Dr. Luke has invested in Kesha’s career, the judge ruled against her injunction, thus leaving her with six more albums to make with him. This comes after a nearly three-year battle to have control over her music, as well as the option to stop working with Dr. Luke.
While I’m not the biggest Kesha fan, I still enjoy her music and the message behind it. Kesha has always been proud of where she comes from and who she is. When she first came out with “Tik Tok” and media outlets dubbed her a “trashy Britney Spears,” she took it and rolled with it. Not to mention, she's written songs for artists around the world including Britney Spears and The Veronicas. She’s always had a voice about who she is and what she believes in. For the girls who didn’t fit the conventional and societal standards, Kesha was there. The fact that this voice is now being tainted is sad and really disheartening.
From Kelly Clarkson and Lorde to JoJo, various female celebrities are banding together to show support for Kesha on social media. While I think this wide spread support is great and shows solidarity with the issue, I find that there is a divide in the wording and message in each tweet that makes all the difference in the type of support being given.
This isn't a fight anyone wants to be a part of, especially since Dr. Luke is a powerful man in the music industry, so Iggy Azalea and Sara Bareilles' responses are suitably matched for their respective personalities. The music industry is a messy career choice, with constant feuds, legal battles, and other encounters that make it seem impossible for anyone to really make the music that they want.
The previous two tweets are my favorite, merely because they don't make it about them, nor do they put themselves into the equation. As an alleged victim, Kesha just needs to know that someone supports her, even if it's from afar and these tweets are, in my opinion, great examples of that.
The next pair of celebs to show their support are music industry veterans. Legal battles have plagued JoJo for years; she lost the right to record and sell her music as a result of a messy contract with Blackground records. She and Kesha share some common ground and her support is therefore to be expected.
But then Kelly Clarkson comes into the picture. While her tweet doesn't outwardly take a side (which she honestly doesn't have to), I feel like she shouldn't have said anything at all. The tweet she linked to is one by the artist Best Coast, who stated on her own account how the ruling was "bullshit". Due to the way she worded the tweet, I felt like she shouldn't have even commented on it. She may not have to pick a side but what are you trying to say, Kelly Clarkson? What part don't you agree on? Which aspect of it all is bullshit? Are you just commenting because that's what everyone else is doing?
I'm not saying supporting Kesha is a bad thing, because that's what she needs: support. However, I question the context in which this support is given. Are celebs using the #FreeKesha that has been making it's way around social media because it's "cool" and simply for show?
Taylor Swift just donated $250,000 to Kesha for any financial need she may have, and while that is a lot of support, it made me wonder, why use money instead of just word of mouth. Does that really send a message of support or rather a message that she doesn't want to directly say anything, so as to not include herself in the conversation?
The thing about hashtags and other popular stories is that people often comment for the wrong reasons. With the way Kesha's world is crashing down around her, she needs something and someone genuine in their actions of support.
