Kesha Voices Support for Kim Petras Amid Label Dispute Over Album Release
Kesha has publicly expressed support for Kim Petras after the pop artist accused her record label of delaying the release of her next album and restricting her creative autonomy.
On Tuesday, Petras shared a series of posts on X stating that her forthcoming album has been finished for six months but remains unreleased due to inaction by her label, Republic Records. In her posts, Petras claimed the label had not provided a release date and had failed to compensate collaborators involved in the project. She added that the situation had prompted her to formally request to be released from her contract. “I’m tired of having no control over my own life or career,” Petras wrote. “I want to continue to self-fund and self-curate my own music.”
Kesha responded later that evening with a message that drew on her own highly publicized experiences within the music industry. The singer referenced her prolonged legal battle with former producer Dr. Luke, which concluded with a settlement in 2023 and was followed by the launch of her independent imprint, Kesha Records.
“I spent many years fighting for the rights to myself,” Kesha wrote. “Watching another woman realize that the ‘golden cage’ is still a cage isn’t a victory, it’s a tragedy we have to stop repeating. Freedom isn’t a privilege; it’s a birthright.”
Petras’ dispute comes at a pivotal moment in her career. Her most recent studio album, Problématique, was released in 2023 and marked her first major project following the global success of “Unholy,” her Grammy-winning collaboration with Sam Smith. Since then, she has released several standalone singles, including “Freak It,” “Polo,” and most recently “I Like Ur Look” in October.
Despite her commercial milestones, Petras suggested that institutional support has lagged behind her achievements. In one post, she noted that she won a Grammy two years ago but continues to face obstacles in releasing new work. Still, she indicated that she plans to move forward independently if necessary.
“My fans have waited long enough,” she wrote, adding that she intends to release the album, titled Detour, regardless of the outcome of her label dispute. Petras concluded her posts with a blurred image of what appeared to be the album’s track sequence displayed on a car screen, signaling her determination to move ahead.
Kesha’s message resonated with fans and industry observers, many of whom have increasingly scrutinized the balance of power between artists and major labels. Her response positioned Petras’ situation within a broader conversation about creative control, ownership, and the structural challenges faced by artists, particularly women, navigating major-label systems.
Neither Republic Records nor representatives for Petras have publicly commented further on the dispute as of this writing.
