Katy Perry’s (California, 39 years old) record label, Capitol Records, has defended the local production company in charge of filming the singer’s latest music video, Lifetimes, received “verbal approval” to film in the protected dunes of the islet of s’Espalmador, in Formentera. The record company has thus responded to the investigation opened three days ago by the Balearic Administration. The Department of Natural Environment of the Balearic Government opened an investigation to determine whether the filming had an environmental impact on the dunes and whether an infringement had been committed, as there was no permit to film in this area included in the natural park of ses Salines de Ibiza and Formentera.
“We were assured by the local video production company that all necessary permissions were obtained,” the Capitol Records spokesperson argued in a statement to the American magazine Billboard on Thursday, August 15. “We have since learned that a permit was pending, but we were given verbal authority to proceed,” he added.
Specifically, the spokesperson said that the local team applied for a permit to film at this specific location on July 22 from the Directorate General of Coasts and Litorals and “received verbal approval on July 26 to continue filming on July 27.” “We comply with all regulations associated with filming in this area and have the utmost respect for this location and the officials charged with protecting it,” he insisted.
The video clip Lifetimes It was filmed on the Mediterranean islands of Ibiza and Formentera, with scenes in which Katy Perry, the partner of actor Orlando Bloom since 2016, appears dancing and jumping in different locations, from urban areas to a busy nightclub. But what has sparked controversy is that the American singer also appears in natural settings, such as inside the dune system of s’Espalmador, within an area delimited by poles and ropes indicating that entry is prohibited, and where all her recording equipment would also have been.
The Balearic Administration has clarified that this would not be a crime against the environment, but rather an infraction, since the environmental authority can give permission for the filming of photo reports or videos. However, it has also communicated that the production company of this recording, “in no case”, requested the necessary authorization to carry out this filming, as Capitol Records now claims.
Along with the famous ses Illetes beach in Formentera, the dunes of s’Espalmador make up the best-preserved dune system in the Balearic Islands and have “great ecological value”, according to the Balearic Government on its tourism website. S’Espalmador is a private islet located north of the island of Formentera and has been part of the ses Salines de Ibiza and Formentera natural park since 1980. It is approximately 2.9 kilometres long and 800 metres wide (about 137 hectares).
The Balearic Islands have not been the only Spanish destination that Katy Perry has visited this summer. In July, the artist surprised everyone by appearing at an LGBT Pride party at the La Terrrazza nightclub in Barcelona, where she danced The Macarenatook out free shots and doused the spectators with a water pistol in hand. Nor is he the only American star who has taken advantage of his stay in Ibiza and Formentera to work. Actor Will Smith has chosen the recording studio of a luxury hotel in the north of Ibiza to record his latest song. Smith shared on your Instagram accountwhere he has more than 70 million followers, a reel titled Ibiza sunset vibes where he appears rapping and singing part of his song, with images of a sunset from the island and in the company of friends.
