Miley Cyrus performs “Flowers” during the 66th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
LOS ANGELES – Miley Cyrus has been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit alleging that she and her co-writers recycled parts of a Bruno Mars song for her two-time Grammy Award-winning hit “Flowers,” according to court papers obtained Tuesday.
The suit was filed Monday in Los Angeles federal court by partial copyright holder Tempo Music Investments, which claims “Flowers” incorporates unauthorized elements of Mars’ 2013 ballad “When I Was Your Man.” Mars is not named as a plaintiff.
The complaint also names Cyrus co-writers Gregory Hein and Michael Pollack as defendants. Sony Music Publishing, Apple, Target, Walmart and several other companies are accused in the suit of distributing the song.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
A representative for Cyrus could not immediately be reached for comment.
“Any fan of Bruno Mars’ ‘When I Was Your Man’ knows that Miley Cyrus’ Flowers did not achieve all of that success on its own,” the lawsuit reads. “Flowers duplicates numerous melodic, harmonic, and lyrical elements of ‘When I Was Your Man,’ including the melodic pitch design and sequence of the verse, the connecting bass line, certain bars of the chorus, certain theatrical music elements, lyric elements, and specific chord progressions.”
@brunomars/Instagram
The plaintiffs contend that the Cyrus hit is a “derivative work” that would not exist without “When I Was Your Man.”
ADVERTISEMENTCyrus’ “Flowers” won Grammys for record of the year and best pop solo performance at this year’s ceremony.
The song was a massive hit, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spending eight consecutive weeks in the top spot. (CNS)
Want stories like this delivered straight to your inbox? Stay informed. Stay ahead. Subscribe to InqMORNING bet999
MORE STORIES Liam Payne: Beloved celebrity’s death can be painful – but collective grief can help Curry leads Golden State Warriors in 139-104 season-opening Former Presidents Obama, Clinton urge Fil-Ams in Nevada to vote early Don't miss out on the latest news and information.
View comments
TAGS: lawsuit, music, Top Stories Home, Trending
For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.