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Kesha Will Perform At Billboard Awards, But There’s A Catch

By Jayce Wagner
Published on: 09:08 PST, May 19, 2016

Kesha will be performing at the Billboard Awards this Sunday after Dr. Luke and Kemosabe finally approved of the singer’s performance, after briefly banning the scheduled Kesha appearance over fears that she would use the platform to discuss the ongoing litigation against Dr. Luke and Kemosabe.

“Kesha’s performance on the Billboard Music Awards was always approved, in good faith. Approval was only suspended when Kemosabe learned Kesha was to use the performance as a platform to discuss the litigation,” said a statement from Kemosabe Records to the Associated Press.

Kesha fans were outraged after news that a scheduled appearance at Sunday’s Billboard Awards was canceled by Kesha’s record label, Kemosabe Records, leading to widespread criticism of Dr. Luke and the record label. But after Kesha reportedly reassured Kemosabe Records that she would not discuss the litigation during the performance, Dr. Luke gave the go-ahead, approving the performance this weekend.

“Now that Kemosabe has obtained assurances, that it is relying upon, from Kesha, her representatives and Dick Clark Productions that neither Kesha nor her supporters will use the performance as such a platform, the approval has been restored,” said the statement from Kemosabe Records, reports ABC News.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Kesha was planning to perform Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe” at the Billboard Music Awards show until her appearance was abruptly canceled. It’s unclear if Kesha still plans on performing the same song, or whether or not her supporters will abide by the Kemosabe stipulation.

Kesha and her record label, Kemosabe, have been at odds since Kesha accused record executive Dr. Luke of drugging and sexually abusing her. Kesha’s ongoing lawsuit against Kemosabe Records and Dr. Luke has yet to be resolved, but has received a great deal of attention due to the inflammatory nature of the charges. Kesha has strong support online and from other performers, who have gone on to voice their support of the singer.

“Isn’t it strange that it’s legal to own a woman this way? Listen Ursula, we want her voice back,” Lady Gaga tweeted last night in support of Kesha.

Lady Gaga has been a huge supporter of Kesha throughout her legal battle with Kemosabe and Dr. Luke, particularly after Kesha’s moving performance of Gaga’s Oscar-nominated song “Til It Happens to You,” which was written for a documentary about sexual assault on college campuses.

Kesha’s record label, Kemosabe, owns the rights to many of her hit songs, and the singer has had trouble trying to get out of her contract with Kemosabe despite the ongoing lawsuit against the record label and producer Dr. Luke, reports the New York Daily News.

Singer-songwriter Diane Warren, who has written hit after hit for some of the music industry’s biggest names, also came out in support of Kesha recently, stating that Kemosabe’s earlier decision to bar Kesha from performing at the Billboard Awards was “beyond f***ed up.”

“I can’t stay silent on this. It is beyond f***ed up to not let Kesha perform at Billboard Awards. Would that happen if she was a male artist? What’s the point here? To crush her spirit? That won’t happen, Kesha is a strong woman. I feel bad for her, she doesn’t deserve this,” tweeted singer-songwriter Diane Warren, voicing her support for Kesha.

Kesha herself has talked about the decision to bar her from performing at the Billboard Awards by reassuring Kemosabe Records that she had no intention of speaking of or alluding to her legal battle with record producer Dr. Luke in any way. Her performance, she says, was only meant to be a tribute to Bob Dylan.

“I was never going to use a picture of [Dr. Luke], speak of him or allude to my legal situation in any way. I simply wanted to sing a song I love to honor an artist I have always looked up to,” Kesha said on Instagram.

[Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images for The Humane Society Of The United States]

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