Miley Cyrus Sued For Copying Another Hit Musician
If you’ve been listening to the radio, Spotify, or even just TikTok, you’ve likely heard plenty of the 2023 Miley Cyrus song “Flowers.” It’s a catchy little bop about a woman seizing her own independence, but it turns out the song itself may be far more dependent than her fans ever realized. Miley Cyrus is now facing a lawsuit over the fact that “Flowers” allegedly has “striking similarities” to the 2013 Bruno Mars song “When I Was Your Man.”
Flowers Vs. When I Was Your Man
In the exact words of this shocking Miley Cyrus lawsuit, “It is undeniable based on the combination and number of similarities between the two recordings that ‘Flowers’ would not exist without ‘When I Was Your Man.'”
The suit further alleges that Cyrus’s song “duplicates numerous melodic, harmonic, and lyrical elements” from the Bruno Mars song. Because of these allegations, Cyrus is being sued for the “unauthorized reproduction, distribution and exploitation.”
Not From Bruno Mars
Interestingly, Bruno Mars himself is not named as a plaintiff in this Miley Cyrus lawsuit…instead, the suit is being brought forward by Tempo Music Investments, who now owns a share in “When I Was Your Man.”
This is due to them acquiring the musical catalog of Philip Lawrence, and the investment group is now suing “Flowers” writers Gregory Hein and Michael Pollack. The suit also has larger targets, including Apple and Sony Music Publishing.
Stop All Flowers?
What does Tempo Music Investments want to get out of this Miley Cyrus lawsuit? For one thing, they are seeking damages, though the exact amount is unknown.
For another thing, they want to end all reproduction, distribution, and performance of “Flowers.” This could be a particularly egregious blow for Cyrus because she recently won Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for this song at the 2024 Grammys.
Flowers Is A Massive Hit
In addition to the accolades the song has helped Miley Cyrus earn, “Flowers” has enjoyed immense success among music lovers everywhere.
When it came out, the tune instantly jumped to the top of both the Billboard charts and Spotify.
Speaking of the streaming service, when “Flowers” was released, it became the most-streamed song in a single week, which was a powerful signifier of its popularity and the singer’s place in pop culture history.
About Liam Hemsworth?
Another reason that fans love this Miley Cyrus song so much is that it comes with a healthy heaping of drama, seemingly dishing on the singer’s relationship with ex-husband Liam Hemsworth (fortunately, he never issued a lawsuit of his own on the matter).
The song’s success is partially due to the fact that it’s an anthem of female independence…a reminder to women that they don’t need to wait for a man to buy them gifts or take them to fun events.
Knowing Cyrus was speaking from her own experience gave the song some added authority and authenticity, solidifying the singer as a kind of everywoman.
Fans Can Decide
At this juncture, it’s impossible to know whether the Miley Cyrus lawsuit is going to affect the distribution of “Flowers.”
Fans can listen to it and Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man” and decide for themselves whether or not similarities like the songs allegedly beginning and ending on the same chords give the suit substance or not.
A legal loss could mean Cyrus loses ground against rising musical competitors like Chappel Roan. But after her many years of success, it’s entirely possible Cyrus will continue smashing through the competition like…well…a wrecking ball.
Source: People
