“The Katy Perry shade”- Netizens react as Zara Larsson blasts mainstream artists who write feminist songs but continue to work with Dr. Luke

Swedish singer and songwriter Zara Larsson was interviewed by Rolling Stone on June 14, 2025, and discussed producer Dr. Luke's ongoing involvement in the pop industry. While she didn't name specific artists, Larsson said that there are "a million other people," wondering if it was "really, really important" for Dr. Luke to come back. Answering her own question, she said that she didn't think so.

She also discussed the need for artists to align actions with the values expressed in their work.

“I personally wouldn’t do it. I think that the most powerful thing you can do is to actually put your money where your mouth is and work with women… That’s way more powerful than writing a feminist anthem with someone who is not really standing for those values,” Zara Larsson said.

Buzzing Pop (@Buzzing Pop) shared a post on X featuring clips of Zara Larsson's interview with Rolling Stone. Fans who saw the tweets speculated that the Swedish singer's comments might refer to Katy Perry, who worked with Dr Luke on her latest album 143. One user even called it "Katy Perry shade," stating that they "love to see it."

"The Katy Perry shade. We love to see it 😍"

animal_of_kesha

@Lovers675

LINK

The Katy Perry shade. We love to see it 😍

Many other fans also believe that Zara Larsson's comments are a reference to Katy Perry, with some tagging the pop artist in their comments.

"🎯@katyperry looking at you beautiful. Make your life & power as a celebrity about something bigger. A purpose outside of yourself 🫶," One X user said in the replies.

"I think @katyperry need to read that," another user wrote.

"the woman’s world and katy shade," one X user commented.

Other netizens applauded Zara Larsson's comments and agreed that who one works with matters.

"Zara really said what needed to be said, actions speak louder than lyrics. Choosing who you work with matters", one X user commented.

"Speaking up is so important", another X user said in the replies.

Zara Larsson's interview with Rolling Stone comes just before the release of her upcoming album, Midnight Sun, out on September 26, 2025.

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Katy Perry's collaboration with Dr Luke: More details

Lukasz Gottwald is a musician, songwriter, and record producer, who goes by the moniker Dr. Luke. He has been a controversial figure in the music industry since 2014 when singer Kesha filed a lawsuit accusing him of emotional abuse and sexual assault.

However, the record producer denied the allegations and filed a countersuit for defamation. After nearly a decade of litigation, both parties settled out of court in June 2023.

Dr. Luke's collaborations since 2023 include work not only with Perry but with other mainstream artists. The fan speculation around Larsson’s comments has largely focused on Katy Perry’s album 143, which was released on September 20, 2024. The album included songs such as Woman’s World and Lifetimes, both co-written and produced by Dr. Luke.

Perry addressed the controversy during a September 5, 2024, interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast, which is available for streaming on Spotify. The Firework singer told the host that Dr. Luke was "one of the many collaborators" she worked with.

“But the reality is, it comes from me. I wrote these songs from my experience of my whole life going through this metamorphosis,” the Roar singer said.

Katy Perry’s earlier collaborations with Dr. Luke had helped define her career in the 2010s and included major hits like California Gurls, Teenage Dream, and I Kissed a Girl.

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More about Zara Larsson's Interview with Rolling Stone

In her June 2025 interview with Rolling Stone, Zara Larsson opened up about the personal and professional motivations behind her upcoming album Midnight Sun. The album is set to be released on September 26, 2025, via Sommer House and Epic Records. The Swedish pop artist described the record as her most introspective project yet.

Speaking of making music, Larsson admitted to scrapping as many as five albums in the four years between her second and third studio releases. She cited internal pressure to produce a strong follow-up to 2017’s So Good as a major factor behind the delay.

“I definitely had that because I felt so pressured of having to have this huge commercial follow-up," she told Rolling Stone's Brian Hiatt.

Her new album’s title track, Midnight Sun, was released on June 13, 2025, and she said that it took years to finalize. Larsson said she had written several different songs under the same name before settling on the version that appears on the album. Referring to Swedish summer nights, she said that the song reminded her of home.

The song’s dance-forward production was also Zara Larsson’s growing comfort in going against current pop music trends. She added that she often tunes out other artists’ work during her recording sessions by listening to podcasts or ASMR content.

“Honestly, I don’t really give a f**k what other people are doing," the sinegr said.

During the interview, Zara Larsson also talked about her early years in the industry. She mentioned how her mother’s presence during her teenage career shielded her from some industry pressures, though not all.

“You meet executives and they’re like, ‘we should do drugs.’ And it’s like, ‘I’m 16'!" she elaborated.

Zara Larsson also spoke about a recent viral moment, where her 2017 Clean Bandit collaboration Symphony saw renewed popularity on TikTok in 2024. She called the event “witchy,” saying she had sensed a resurgence was coming shortly before the trend took off. She originally thought the viral track would be her 2015 single Lush Life, a hit from her earlier discography.

Midnight Sun will mark Zara Larsson’s fourth studio album. Ahead of its release, she will join Tate McRae on a North American tour beginning August 4, 2025, in the Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia.

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Zara Larsson’s upcoming album Midnight Sun, scheduled for release on September 26, 2025, comes after years of delays and shelved material. In recent interviews, Zara Larsson discussed her approach to songwriting, her decision-making during long gaps between projects, and her desire to stay grounded while working in a highly competitive industry.

With the release timeline now confirmed, a North American tour alongside Tate McRae set for August and September, and a February 2026 tour with OneRepublic, Zara Larsson seems to have a packed schedule for fans.