On February 19, a judge denied Kesha an injunction to free her from her contract with Sony. This blow came amid Kesha's lawsuit against her former producer and manager Dr. Luke, who she alleges physically, sexually, and psychologically abused her over the course of many years. Up until now, the music industry has been relatively quiet on the case—but in the days following Kesha's loss in court, artists and industry figures have been voicing their support for her in droves, many using the hashtag #FreeKesha. Some, like Troye Sivan, are calling directly on Sony to take action; others, like Grimes and Fiona Apple, have publicly offered their empathy to the pop star, who has been unable to record or release new music for three years. (A rep for Kesha has not returned a request for comment.)
Meanwhile, Demi Lovato took the opportunity to express dismay at "self-proclaimed feminists" who have not spoken out about Kesha's case. Her comments were interpreted by some as a veiled reference to Taylor Swift. Swift, who hasn't publicly spoken about Kesha, subsequently donated $250,000 to the singer this weekend. However, following this news Lovato tweeted: "actually speak out about something and then I'll be impressed."
Catch up with a selection of the responses below.
