A copyright lawsuit has been filed in California federal court, accusing pop sensation Miley Cyrus of copying Bruno Mars' hit song When I Was Your Man in her chart-topping single Flowers.
The lawsuit, brought by Tempo Music Investments, claims that Cyrus' song borrows "multiple melodic, harmonic, and lyrical elements" from Mars' 2013 Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit. The complaint, filed on Monday, raises questions about potential similarities between the two tracks.
Representatives for Miley Cyrus' label, Sony Music, and legal teams for Tempo Music Investments did not respond to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit as of Tuesday.
Bruno Mars, who is not directly involved in the legal action, has also not commented, and spokespeople for his label, Atlantic Records under Warner Music Group, declined to provide a statement. Tempo Music Investments stated in the complaint that it acquired its share of rights to "When I Was Your Man" from co-writer Philip Lawrence in 2020.
In its lawsuit, Tempo Music Investments claims that Miley Cyrus' "Flowers" shares "striking similarities" with Bruno Mars' "When I Was Your Man," pointing to similarities in melodies, bass lines, chord progressions, and lyrics. The complaint also references a 2023 Billboard article noting that the chorus of Mars' song is the "inverse" of what Cyrus sings in "Flowers." Tempo is seeking unspecified monetary damages and a court order to stop the alleged copyright infringement.
The lawsuit also targets major streaming platforms, including Apple and Amazon, as well as retailers like Target and Walmart, accusing them of infringing Tempo Music Investments' copyright by distributing Miley Cyrus' hit song "Flowers. Representatives for these companies have yet to respond to requests for comment.
"Flowers," featured on Cyrus' 2023 album Endless Summer Vacation, has garnered over 1 billion streams on Spotify and earned the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2024.
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