Katy Perry is under investigation for possible environmental damage to the protected sand dunes of Espalmador following the release of the Ibiza-set music video for her new single, “Lifetimes.”
The Balearic Islands Environment Agency press release On Tuesday, they claimed the video’s production company had not obtained proper permission before filming.
The song’s video, directed by Stills, was released on August 8 and shows the 39-year-old singer frolicking on the islands of Ibiza and Formentera, sunbathing on the beach by day and partying at the islands’ famous clubs by night. It also includes shots of the sand dunes of Espalmador, one of Formentera’s most ecologically rich areas.
The agency said it was investigating potential damage to the roped-off area, and in a statement said filming did not constitute an “environmental crime” as video and photo reporting was “permitted” upon request.
Espalmador, a 1.8-mile-long islet north of Formentera, has been part of the Ses Salines de Ibiza and Formentera Natural Park since 1980. The sand dunes on this small, privately owned, uninhabited island make up the best-preserved group of dunes in the Balearic Islands and are of “great ecological value,” according to the regional government’s tourism website.
The controversial Dr. Luke-produced “Lifetimes” is the follow-up to Perry’s comeback album, Woman’s World, which was released in July to mostly negative reviews from critics (The Guardian’s Laura Snapes called it “regressive”) and leads off her upcoming album, 143 (codenamed “I Love You”), due for release on September 20th via Capitol Records.
This is Perry’s first album since 2020’s Smile, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. Her 2010 album Teenage Dream became just the second album in history, following Michael Jackson’s Bad, to have five No. 1 singles, with California Gurls, Teenage Dream, Firework, E.T. and Last Friday Night (TGIF).
