Miley Cyrus is reportedly facing a lawsuit over claims she copied a Bruno Mars song.
The singer’s hit “Flowers,” which earned Cyrus her first Grammy award earlier this year, is under scrutiny in the lawsuit, which accuses her of copyright infringement.
It is alleged the song copied the melody, harmony and chorus of Mars’ 2012 hit, “When I Was Your Man,” according to TMZ.
The media outlet said it had seen legal papers filed by Tempo Music Investments, a company that invests in music rights. It was launched in 2019 by Providence Equity Partners and Warner Music Group (WMG). Mars is signed to Atlantic Records, a subsidiary of WMG.
Tempo Music said it owned a share of the copyright of “When I Was Your Man,” and accused Cyrus of “intentionally copying” the song.
“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 reads, per TMZ.
Bruno Mars (L) attends the SelvaRey Pina Colada Party on July 24, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (R) Miley Cyrus accepts the Best Pop Solo Performance award for “Flowers” on stage during the 66th Annual Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024 in L.A. Cyrus is being sued for allegedly copying one of Mars’ songs.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images, Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images
Mars was not named as a plaintiff in the lawsuit, according to TMZ.
Newsweek contacted Tempo Music Investments by email, and Miley Cyrus‘ and Bruno Mars’ representatives by email for comment outside working hours.
“Flowers” raised eyebrows at the time of its release in January 2023 because it seemed to reference Mars’ decade-old song.
The lyrics in the “When I Was Your Man” chorus include: “That I should’ve bought you flowers/And held your hand/Shoulda gave you all my hours/When I had the chance.” It then says “All you wanted to do was dance.”
In “Flowers,” Cyrus sings, “I can buy myself flowers, Write my name in the sand / Talk to myself for hours, Say things you don’t understand / I can take myself dancing, And I can hold my own hand / Yeah, I can love me better than you can.”
Mars and the other songwriters of “When I Was Your Man” are not listed on the songwriting credits of “Flowers,” but some experts at the time explained why that could be the case.
“It seems to be a direct response to the lyrics of this song [“When I Was Your Man”]. But if you look at the writers on “Flowers,” you’ll notice that Bruno Mars and his co-writers are not credited,” explained content creator Adam Barrera on YouTube.
“So why is this? Well, even though the lyrics of “Flowers” relate to the lyrics of “When I Was Your Man,” there are no similarities in the melodies or instrumentals.”
Barrera continued: “If Miley had sung the lyrics, using the same melody as “When I Was Your Man” or even a similar instrumental then this would have been an interpolation and we would have seen Bruno and his co-writers credited.”
