Is there a Spring Bash moment in the future of the Grammys? Fiona Apple spoke out against Dr Luke's Grammy nomination in a recent interview with The Guardian , describing how Dr Luke's nomination in 2021 made her unhappy with her three Excited about the nomination. She even opened up about how she envisioned making a statement, including a protest idea that could have come straight out of the 2004 comedy Mean Girls — in the best way possible.
Dr. Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald and who goes by the pseudonym Tyson Trax, is competing for Record of the Year for his work on Doja Cat's "Say So." Given his ongoing legal battle with Kesha, Apple said it didn't believe the Recording Academy would nominate him for one of the night's biggest awards. (The singer has accused him of abuse and sexual misconduct, all accusations he denies.) Amid the criticism, Apple recalled Kesha's emotional performance at the 2018 awards show, when she sang about her experience with Dr. Luke, It seems to have the support of the academy. (Bustle has reached out to the Recording Academy for comment.)
"I'm talking about the Grammys, which is really something I shouldn't be doing, but is Dr. Luke really nominated?" Apple told the Guardian . "They had [Kesha] out there singing 'Prayer,' and now they're going: 'Oh, but it's Tyson Trax!'"
Apple, who has been open about her own experiences with sexual assault, was initially prepared to celebrate her nomination, especially after seeing all the female nominees in the Best Rock Performance category. However, she explained that learning about Dr. Luke affected her own achievements and those of the women she was nominated with. "I felt really good at that moment," the Fetch the Bolt Cutters singer said. "[But then] I felt like that's what they wanted me to do: 'Now it's better! I'm nominated! It's all women this year, the Grammys are awesome!'"
"I always think back to when they put Kesha on stage and was like, 'We believe in you' — and I believed in her — and then two years later, Tyson Trax was f**king," she added. "Not to go back to that word, but that's bullshit."
The singer-songwriter later said she'd been imagining what she would do the night of the Grammys if she won. "My vision was that I would stand up with a sledgehammer, I wouldn't say anything, and I would smash the Grammys into enough pieces to share, and then I would invite all the ladies to come up," she revealed, creating a look visually reminiscent of Cady Heron's Spring Bash speech in "Mean Girls." "My second thought was, I wonder if I could get all these ladies to boycott this shit because of Dr. Luke."
Apple, which has been a public supporter of Kesha, first filed her lawsuit against Dr. Luke in 2014, when she accused the producer of sexually, verbally and physically assaulting her. She withdrew the lawsuit in 2016, but Dr. Luke countersued, denying all accusations of assault and accusing Kesha of defaming him to get out of her record contract. Around that time, comedian Margaret Cho posted a photo of Apple holding a "Free Kesha" sign on Instagram so that she could publicly support the singer. Apple's sign read: "Kesha - I'm so angry for you." "They were wrong. I'm sorry."
In February 2020, a judge ruled that Kesha defamed Dr. Luke in a text message to Lady Gaga and ordered her to pay the producer $374,000 in interest to his company for breach of contract. "Judge Schechter ruled today on Dr. Luke's motion for summary judgment in the lawsuit," Kesha's legal team said in a statement to Pitchfork following the ruling. "We disagree with the court's ruling. We plan to appeal immediately." The case is about to go to trial.
As for the Grammys, the ceremony will take place on Sunday, January 31, and we may or may not get to see the trophies smashed and shared.
