It’s a common story, one of the realities of a culture built around fame and the commodification of sexuality. A bright-eyed star signs a contract; her powerful producer takes advantage of her; she is unable to escape because a signature and a legal agreement are worth more than her life.
Kesha’s story is in the news now, but it is impossible to tell how many versions of her story have gone unnoticed. We cannot forget that hers is not a singular experience. Her story is a uniquely public version of a narrative far too often told and retold. Therefore the surge of publicity and support for Kesha must not end; these things must be the beginning of a continued dialogue concerning the welfare of women, artists, and people everywhere.
The details are almost unavoidable now. Kesha began her journey at the age of eighteen, when she signed with producer Dr. Luke and moved to Los Angeles to begin her recording career. Six years later, she released her first album Animal, a record that launched her into the pop scene. Pulsing with infectious, carefree club bangers like the then inescapable Tik Tok, Kesha (whose name was then spelled with a dollar sign instead of an s) seemed poised to become one of pop’s biggest stars. She released two more successful albums - then fell silent.
In 2016, she emerged, this time with a lawsuit. Kesha stated that Dr. Luke verbally abused her, telling her to lose weight and insulting her appearance - statements that lead to her admission to rehab for an eating disorder. She said that he drugged and raped her when she was 18, and that she has been too scared to talk about these events in the past.
I believe that Kesha is telling the truth. But even if we entertain the possibility that for some unfathomable reason she might be lying, making up the fact that she was abused for attention or due to her desire for more money (both of which do not make sense, as producing more records with Dr. Luke would certainly bring about more fame and fortune), there is still no reason that she should be forced to stay with her contract. The fact that she has to do so is telling about the way our current society views rape, women, abuse, and personal welfare, and speaks volumes about the values of the justice system as a whole.
If Kesha leaves Dr. Luke, he will not suffer - he might lose an artist, but he certainly has scores of others waiting to fill her place. But forcing Kesha to stay with Dr. Luke will either destroy her career or put her in a place where she has to work with someone who she obviously no longer wants to interact with. If she is telling the truth, forcing her to stay with him will force her to remain in contact with her rapist.
There is a small silver lining: the fact that the judge ruled in Dr. Luke's favor could, and should, have detrimental effects on his career. Many of the artists he has previously worked with have announced that they will stop working with him. Kesha has received offers from producers like Zedd who are willing to work with her in spite of her contract. But the story doesn’t end with Dr. Luke, and it doesn’t end with Kesha.
Are contracts worth more than testimonies? Should accused rapists be innocent until proven guilty, and should accusers of rape be held as liars and forced to interact with the accused until their words are fortified by clear evidence? The fact that we are asking these questions shows that there are substantial problems with the way our society is structured today.
Kesha is far from alone in her experiences. In 2014, Lady Gaga revealed that she had been raped by a record producer when she was 19. She has since announced her support for Kesha, along with artists like Lorde, Miley Cyrus, and more - though it is worth noting that very few male artists have spoken out. Still, this story is not unique to female artists alone; countless men and gender-nonconforming people are also the victims of abuse.
We need to keep a constant dialogue that facilitates a cultural shift towards valuing the safety of the victim instead of instinctively doubting the legitimacy of their claims. And it shouldn’t take rape to allow people’s stories to be heard. Intimidation, persuasion, and other methods used by people in position of power to coerce artists, or anyone at all, into doing something they do not want to should be legitimate reasons for people to be allowed to walk away - and for their voices to be listened to.
Why was Kesha called a liar? Why is she being forced to lose everything by working with a man who will lose nothing if she is able to drop his contract? Even if she is able to record music with someone else, the fact that she cannot drop her contract with Dr. Luke means that she will be forever tied to him. She will be forced to see his name on her work. She will be constantly reminded of what happened to her.
Until we start valuing people’s stories - until we start valuing safety and personal livelihood over evidence or lack thereof - we will be living in a world where people like Dr. Luke can prevent talented artists from furthering their careers, while simultaneously causing them severe psychological and physical damage without repercussions. We will be living in a world where music and art is built around the rich and powerful, and where people are treated like objects. Kesha is receiving support from artists and fans across the globe, but the difficult truth is that many people never hear a word of encouragement, and many never have a place to tell their stories. This has to be the beginning of a shift in a new direction.
It should not matter if someone’s story cannot be proven. Safety and personal welfare should be legitimized above all else. And if outright accusations of rape are not good enough to let artists escape contracts, then what else will be considered irrelevant? Verbal and psychological abuse, degradation, overwork, unnecessary criticism and countless other abuses may not ever be provable, but does that make them worthless in the face of a sheet of paper? If Kesha is, for some reason, just trying to create difficulty for Dr. Luke (again, if she was looking for money she could have made more albums with him) why would she be sacrificing her entire career unless he actually did something worth being angry about?
We cannot stop talking about Kesha, and we cannot forget about all the others who came before her, and who will come after if change is not initiated. Already, the social media buzz surrounding Kesha is dying down, but we should never stop retelling what happened. At awards shows and music events, we should remember that Kesha could have been there. And we should remember all the other faces and voices we will never hear, because they were not listened to and supported, despite their talents, creativity, and basic human rights. Because their cries for help were called lies because evidence could not prove otherwise. No matter what the logistics of the contract between them are, no matter how flimsy the evidence, a woman should be allowed to leave her abuser. A person should be allowed to leave because they want to - not because there is clear evidence for their reasoning - not because they never signed a contract.
