Katy Perry’s troubled album roll-out has continued this week as the musician is now reportedly under investigation in Spain over potential environmental damage that took place on her ‘Lifetimes’ video shoot.
Last week (August 8), Perry revealed the tracklist for her new album ‘143’ via the sun-kissed new single ‘Lifetimes’.
The new song is the second track to be shared from Perry’s forthcoming album, and arrives following last month’s lead single ‘Woman’s World’.
The music video for ‘Women’s World’ was heavily criticised, with some fans suggesting was catering to the male gaze rather than challenging it, as seems to be the intention of the female empowerment-themed lyrics.
Perry rebutted these accusations, saying the video was intended as satire. “We’re kind of just having fun, being a bit sarcastic with it. It’s very slapstick and very on the nose,” she later said, defending the video.
Now, Perry’s latest music video has attracted more controversy for the alleged unauthorised filming of ‘Lifetimes’ on Spain’s Balearic Islands.
As per a translated statement from the regional government’s environmental department (via Consequence), an investigation is to take place after they claim the production company responsible for the music video didn’t request the necessary authorisation to film at the protected dunes at Ses Salines Natural Park. The Balearic government has described the area as one with “great ecological value.”
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NME has reached out to representatives of Perry for comment.
Perry also received further criticism recently when it was revealed she had worked once more with Dr Luke on her latest album, who Kesha accused of emotional abuse and sexual assault in a decade-long lawsuit.
Perry has frequently collaborated with the producer on some of her biggest hits in the past, including ‘I Kissed A Girl’, ‘California Gurls’ and ‘Dark Horse’, but the news proved controversial following his and Kesha’s long-running legal battle.
After Kesha sued him, the producer denied the allegations and countersued the artist, claiming she had breached the recording contract they had with one another and made up rape allegations in an attempt to get out of the deal.
Perry did get brought into proceedings when Kesha alleged that Perry was also a victim of abuse at the hands of Dr Luke. Perry strongly denied this and a judge later ruled that Kesha had defamed Dr Luke by suggesting as much.
In 2018, Perry said that she “felt pressured” to support Kesha. She also revealed that she felt like “Luke was using me as a pawn” to assert his innocence, and that she was “annoyed” with both parties. Dr Luke was not involved in making her 2017 album ‘Witness’, which she added was because she didn’t want to feel like she was “picking a side”.
Kesha tweeted “lol” as the news of Perry’s latest collaboration came out, which fans assumed to be a response to Perry collaborating with Dr Luke again.
In 2020, NME reviewed ‘Smile’, giving it two stars and writing: “It’s frustrating, as this is the woman behind some of the most fun – and biggest-selling – songs of all time. But as much as you want ‘Smile’ to be a return to form, her fifth album’s songs fail to grip. All in all, ‘Smile’ lacks the fireworks of Perry’s record-breaking years.”
In other news, Perry recently praised Charli XCX and her ‘Brat‘ culture phenomenon,calling her a “super mega pop star”.
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