Plenty of celebrities — and non–celebrities too — have recently come forward to show and voice their support for Kesha. The singer is currently in a legal battle trying to get out of her recording contract with Dr. Luke, the producer she has accused of raping, drugging, and emotionally abusing her for years.
So it’s no surprise that Grimes, who, as a completely autonomous artist — Claire Boucher writes, records, produces, mixes, and masters everything that she attaches the “Grimes” label to — has routinely criticized both the music industry and the media at large for misrepresenting her as simply a muse, a singer that attaches her voice to other people’s (note: male’s) productions, would eventually have to speak on the subject.
And, in a recent interview with Rolling Stone , Grimes was asked to speak on Kesha’s ongoing lawsuit against Dr. Luke. Amidst discussion about the sounds she employed on last year’s excellent Art Angels and her progress on its followup, Grimes offered her take on the Kesha vs. Dr. Luke situation:
I don’t know enough about the specifics of that situation, because it seems very complicated. But I will say that I’ve been in numerous situations where male producers would literally be like, “We won’t finish the song unless you come back to my hotel room.” If I was younger or in a more financially desperate situation, maybe I would have done that. I don’t think there are few female producers because women aren’t interested. It’s difficult for women to get in. It’s a pretty hostile environment.
So apparently Dr. Luke isn’t the only male producer in the industry who might be awful. According to Grimes’ statement, there are “numerous” others who feel comfortable plainly demanding sex in exchange for music. Grimes’ outspokenness is an important step to guaranteeing that accusations such as Kesha’s are treated with the respect they deserve, rather than as the complaints of someone who is simply unhappy in a recording contract.