The name “Ke$ha” elicits a multitude of reactions. Millennials most likely remember an awkward middle school house party singing along to some of her notoriously auto-tuned, infectious mega hits like “Tik Tok” and “Your Love Is My Drug.” Parents remember a controversial pop star who admitted to rolling around in beer and glitter prior to shows. This past week, the hitmaker made headlines for filing an injunction expressing that her career was “effectively over” if action was not taken in her 2014 lawsuit against longtime producer Dr. Luke.
In the suit, Ke$ha claims years of graphic physical, mental, and sexual abuse from Dr. Luke, the producer behind hits sung by P!nk, Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry, and Kelly Clarkson The shocking confession prompted the hashtag #FreedomForKesha to trend on social media, with public outcry for legal action to free the singer from the contract binding her career to her producer and abuser. In a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone, the pop star claimed her “protective fans” were frustrated by her lack of “creative control,” from her general image to single choices.
Ke$ha is not the first star to express frustration with abuse in the music industry. Pop icon Lady Gaga’s music frequently deals with the theme of being abused by men. Last week, she released "Til it Happens to You" — a ballad about rape on college campuses for the documentary "The Hunting Ground." Last year, Gaga told Howard Stern that she was raped at age 19, while trying to break into the music industry.
It is no secret that the music industry is unfairly male dominated and laden with double standards. Since Madonna in the 1980s, when women embrace their sexuality, they are demonized by the public as “trashy” and overly promiscuous, while men who exhibit the same behavior are hailed as “rock stars.” Likewise, it seems as if young, talented females are given the impression that they cannot possibly create anything on their own and must be taken under the wing of — often abusive — male executive. Generally, despite how much women wish to take control of their careers, like Gaga writing and recording her own album or Ke$ha wanting to experiment with new genres, they are demeaned by male executives into not taking credit for their own work or artistic vision.
The growing paradigm in the music industry to force female pop stars into a certain mold to diminish the independence of women speaks to a larger problem in society. Too often, society has trouble with women asserting dominance and speaking their mind. The problem is seen in the rap genre as well, where domestic abuse, drug problems, and jail time by male rappers is seldom acknowledged as a problem, while strong opinions and assertions of power by females like Nicki Minaj and Azealia Banks force the rappers into an “angry black woman” narrative, in which they are seen by the public as villains and silenced for having something to say.
Not only should Ke$ha be freed from her contract and gain the ability to pursue whatever musical endeavors she wishes without the necessity of working with her abuser, the public at large should change the way we view female artists (and women in general). The fact that females are thought to need a man to create and take ownership of their own work is ridiculous but is a pervading reality the industry. Not only is this a huge social injustice, but the forcing of woman to fit a specific mold is making the pop music landscape predictable and boring. Forcing artists like Katy Perry to churn out No. 1 hits that are indiscernible from one another, and artists like Taylor Swift to resort to gimmicks in videos and Instagram posts to promote the singles selected for release by her record company, makes today’s pop music landscape boring and predictable. It is time for the music industry to begin dealing with this world, and it can begin by freeing Ke$ha from her contract.
