Miley Cyrus faces copyright lawsuit over 'Flowers' song

Miley Cyrus is the latest singer to be sued over an alleged copyright violation. The 31-year-old's smash hit song, 'Flowers', is the subject of a new lawsuit filed by Tempo Music Investments.

The company says Miley intentionally copied 'When I Was Your Man' - a song made famous by Bruno Mars in 2012. 'Flowers' became an instant hit when it was released in January 2023 and quickly became the breakup anthem of the year. It also broke several music records and earned Miley her first-ever Grammy Award.

The song was released shortly before her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth's birthday, leading some to speculate that the lyrics were a swipe at their failed relationship.

"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," she sings in the chorus.

Fans noted at the time of the track's release that the chorus was very similar to Bruno's song.

"I should've bought you flowers/ And held your hand/ Should've gave you all my hours/ When I had the chance/ Take you to every party/'Cause all you wanted to do was dance/ Now my baby's dancing/ But she's dancing with another man," he sings.

Miley was paraphrasing, but Tempo Music Investment, which allegedly owns a share of the song's copyright, says there are "many musical similarities" between the two songs.

According to TMZ, the investment company went so far as to say she was "intentionally copying" Bruno's song, particularly the melody, harmony, and chorus.

"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'."

Interestingly, Bruno is not part of the lawsuit. Miley's team is yet to respond.

She is not the first, and she won't be the last musician to be accused of copyright infringement. Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' has been the subject of several lawsuits in recent years.

Ed Sheeran fought a $100-million Marvin Gaye copyright lawsuit

https://www.ecr.co.za/news/entertainment/ed-sheeran-wins-100m-marvin-gaye-copyright-lawsuit/

in 2024.

Here's a look at how Miley and Bruno's songs compare.

ALSO READ: Hey, Bruno Mars, we found a mini you in Durban!