Kesha's BBMA 2016 Performance Is Back On

Hold the phone. It turns out that all this talk about Kesha not performing at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards is no longer the case. On Wednesday, Dr. Luke’s label, Kemosabe Records, released a statement confirming that Kesha’s Billboard Awards performance is back on. In the statement, the record labels claimed that Kesha’s performance had always been approved "in good faith," saying, "approval was only suspended when Kemosabe learned Kesha was to use the performance as a platform to discuss the litigation." Here's the statement, in full:

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. Now that Kemosabe has obtained assurances, that 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.

The back and forth over whether or not Kesha would perform at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards began Tuesday when Dick Clark Productions released a statement saying that Kesha would no longer be performing at the awards show:

Kesha accepted an invitation to perform on the show and she received written approval from Dr. Luke’s record label, Kemosabe Records. Kemosabe subsequently rescinded its approval… regarding Kesha’s appearance on the BBMAs. Unfortunately, Kesha and Kemosabe have since been unable to come to an agreement for Kesha to perform on the show.

Following the statement from Dick Clark Productions, Kesha posted on Instagram, stating that she never planned to make a statement about Dr. Luke (who she has accused of sexual assault and who has repeatedly denied her claims in addition to countersuing her for defamation), as previously reported. Kesha claimed that she was only planning to cover a Bob Dylan song.

On Wednesday night, when it still seemed as if Kemosabe would not allow her to perform at the awards show in Las Vegas, the singer performed the song she had intended to perform at the Billboard Music Awards during a Ben Folds Five concert. During the performance, Kesha made no comments about the song or about the court battle she has recently been involved in. Whatever it was that inspired the record company to re-approve Kesha's performance, it's amazing news that it has been. If her performance on Wednesday night was any indication, it's bound to be incredible.