Alright, folks, buckle up because we’ve got a heavyweight copyright battle brewing in the music world, and it involves none other than Miley Cyrus. The pop superstar is facing a lawsuit over her smash hit “Flowers”, and from the looks of it, a federal judge is not buying her attempt to make this case disappear.
Here’s the deal: Tempo Music Investments, which owns a slice of Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man”, is coming after Cyrus, claiming “Flowers” has some serious similarities to Mars’ ballad.
We’re talking melody, harmony, lyrics—you name it. And while Mars himself isn’t part of the lawsuit, the accusations are loud and clear: they think “Flowers” wouldn’t exist without “When I Was Your Man”.
Cyrus and her legal team, of course, have fired back, arguing that Tempo Music Investments doesn’t even have the right to sue since they only own a small portion of the song, which they bought from co-writer Philip Lawrence.
But here’s where it gets tricky: Judge Dean D. Pregerson isn’t exactly sold on that argument. During a court hearing, he seemed to lean in favor of the plaintiff’s position, questioning why anyone would buy a stake in a song if they couldn’t enforce copyright on it. Good question, right?
And let’s not forget the lyrical similarities that have everyone talking. Mars’ lyrics: “”I should have brought you flowers and held your hand… take you to every party ’cause all you wanted to do was dance.””
Now, compare that to Cyrus’: “”I can buy myself flowers… I can hold my own hand… I can take myself dancing.”” Yeah, it’s not a direct copy-paste, but you can see why someone might raise an eyebrow—or a lawsuit.
For now, the judge hasn’t ruled on whether the case moves forward, but all signs point to Cyrus facing a legal battle ahead. And if it goes to trial?
Expect a showdown featuring musicologists, legal experts, and plenty of industry drama. Because, as we all know, when it comes to music copyright cases, things can get messy fast.
So, did Miley really borrow a little too much from Bruno, or is this just another case of two songs sounding alike in an industry where inspiration flows freely? Either way, this one is far from over. Stay tuned.
