In case you have been living under a rock, you should probably be informed about what is happening to the singer Kesha. Kesha is currently in the legal fight of her life against music conglomerate Sony and producer/writer Dr. Luke. Kesha filed a lawsuit to get out of her contract with Dr. Luke after she alleged that he sexually and verbally abused her over the course of making her first two albums with him.
You probably are wondering where Kesha has been. Her last album, Warrior, was released in 2012. Since then, she has been making music, but has no way of publishing it. In Kesha's contract with Sony, it states that she can only release music with Dr. Luke and no one else. Kesha wants to be let out of her contract after the psychological turmoil he put her through.
Kesha is a voice for those who cannot speak in the industry, and for those who sign ridiculous contracts where record labels control most aspects of the artist's life. A few years ago, Kesha's mother put her into a rehab center after she thought she had an eating disorder. Months later, it became released to the public that Dr. Luke was the primary cause for the eating disorder after verbally abusing her, including referring to her as a 'refrigerator'.
SO obviously you think if Kesha was making these allegations of abuse, and it was so public that she would easily get out of her contract, right? Well you'd be wrong because the judge denied her out of her contract. The judge said that she did not have to work with Dr. Luke, but she would still have to work under Sony. This would mean that Sony supports a sexual predator in Dr. Luke and Sony does not support a victim in Kesha. If Kesha were to make another album with a new producer under Sony, there is no assurance that Sony would promote her album as well as they did before the lawsuit.
This means so much more than people think. It is so important that Kesha is garnering support from the music industry at this time because it lets survivors out their know that they do have a voice. The amount of backlash against the judge's ruling was insane, with artists like Lady Gaga (who dedicated her Oscar performance to Kesha), Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande, and Adele (Sony's biggest artist).
Since the judge denied Kesha the right to work with other people, he is basically telling every survivor of sexual assault that their story and the abuse they went through was pointless. All survivors should know that they have a voice and they should definitely speak out not only for themselves, but for others who can't speak. That is why what is happening to Kesha is so important, because she is speaking out and people are getting behind her.
