Pitbull reacts to Kesha’s credits being removed from ‘Timber’ video

19 August, 2024

Kesha and Pitbull perform at the 2013 American Music Awards

Pitbull has responded to Kesha’s credits being removed from their ‘Timber’ music video on YouTube – see what he had to say below.

Over the weekend (August 18), fans took to social media after they had noticed that the music video for ‘Timber’ – the collaborative hit track from Pitbull and Kesha in 2013 – had been updated to remove her credits from the title, and also received a new thumbnail that only features Pitbull.

Fans called out Pitbull for the update, with some calling it “nasty work”, especially when the track is best known for its catchy chorus, which is led by Kesha. Fans have also cited the “millions” that Kesha hasn’t been paid in royalties for performing on the hit song. Some also noted that they had considered the song to be Kesha’s instead of her being a featured guest.

Now, Pitbull has spoken out about the video’s update. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter), accompanied by a clip from their music video: “[Kesha] and I have an incredible song together. Nothing will change this. Team Pitbull is looking into this matter. Always nothing but love for Kesha, Dale!” At the time of publishing, the music video has yet to be updated to reflect Kesha’s involvement.

In other Pitbull-related news, the singer’s song ‘I Feel Good’ has been at the centre of an infringement lawsuit by a company named All Surface Publishing.

The singer’s label, Mr. 305 Inc., was sued in a suit which saw the publishing company allege that Pitbull’s 2021 hit ‘I Feel Good’ infringed the copyright to Debonair Samir’s 2006 song ‘Samir’s Theme’, claiming that it featured “significant similarities.”

The lawsuit came a few days after the ‘Hotel Room Service’ singer purchased the naming rights for the Florida International University Stadium, and renamed the venue as the Pitbull Stadium.

Pitbull performs during The Trilogy Tour 2024.
Pitbull performs during The Trilogy Tour 2024. CREDIT: Keith Griner/Getty Images

The singer will pay $1.2million (£1.03m) annually for the next five years to retain the naming rights of the on-campus venue. He will then be given the option in August 2029 to extend the deal for another five years if he wishes to continue the partnership.

Earlier this month, Kesha celebrated her debut single ‘TiK ToK’ crossing a billion streams on Spotify by brushing her teeth with a bottle of Jack Daniels. Kesha has also revealed that she wants to re-record the song when she has the “legal rights” to. The singer-songwriter expressed how proud she is of the song, and opened up about wanting to re-record the track with a new lyric to reflect how much things have changed since its initial release.

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