An investigation has been opened into Katy Perry’s latest music video, with Spanish authorities saying the clip was shot on protected beaches without authorisation.
Released on 9 August, the video for “LIFETIMES” depicts Perry singing and dancing in clubs and on the beached of Ibiza and Formentera. In some scenes, she is shown on the sand dunes of S’Espalmador, a small island to the north of Formentera, that connects to the southern mass of land through a narrow sandbar at low tide. The area is protected and the singer is under investigation for filming there without authorisation.
“Agriculture, Fishing and the Natural Environment would like to clarify that in no case had the production company requested authorisation from the Ministry to carry out the filming, and that is why preliminary investigation actions have been initiated”, the Government of the Balearic Islands said in a statement.
S’Espalmador is a privately owned uninhabited island. It is a popular stopover for tours between Ibiza and Formentera and has been part of the Ses Salines de Ibiza and Formentera natural park since 1980 for the “great ecological value” of its sand dunes.
The regional government has clarified that Perry is not under investigation for a “crime against the environment”, as filming in the area is allowed with authorisation, but merely for not acquiring the necessary permissions before shooting.
“The filming of photographic reports, cinematographic, videographic or of any other kind that involve the taking of images in any medium and format for the purpose of advertising or commercial exhibition, requires the express authorisation of the competent ministry for the environment, without prejudice to other authorizations that can be granted by the corresponding authorities and bodies, including those pertaining to property rights”, the government quotes the regulation regarding filming in the area.
Contacted by BBC News, Perry’s production company said they had enlisted a local production company to follow through with the necessary authorisations and had received “verbal approval on July 26 to proceed with the filming” on the following day. “We adhered to all regulations associated with filming in this area and have the utmost respect for this location and the officials tasked with protecting it”, the company added.
The investigation comes at a time when the artist seems to be falling from grace. With a new album to be released in September, Perry’s first single, “Woman’s World”, has been called by RollingStone a “catastrophic flop” and a “hilariously catastrophic attempt at a comeback single”. Having left the jury of American Idol in May, after seven seasons, the singer has also been facing backlash for choosing to collaborate for the new album with Dr Luke, who has settled a lawsuit with singer Kesha after accusations of sexual, physical and emotional abuse.
