Pop star Miley Cyrus copied Bruno Mars’ hit “When I Was Your Man” in her number-one single “Flowers,” according to a copyright lawsuit filed in California federal court.
The complaint, filed by music-rights owner Tempo Music Investments on Monday, claims that “Flowers” replicates “numerous melodic, harmonic, and lyrical elements” from Mars’ 2013 chart-topping song.
Spokespeople for Cyrus’ label, Sony Music, and for Tempo did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday. Mars is not involved in the lawsuit, and spokespeople for his label, Warner Music Group’s Atlantic Records, also declined to comment. Tempo’s complaint states that it purchased its share of “When I Was Your Man” from co-writer Philip Lawrence in 2020.
The lawsuit further accuses streaming services, including Apple and Amazon, as well as retailers like Target and Walmart, of infringing Tempo’s copyright by distributing Cyrus’ song. Spokespeople for these companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Cyrus released “Flowers” on her 2023 album, “Endless Summer Vacation.” The single has surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify and won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2024.
Tempo’s lawsuit alleges that “Flowers” exhibits “striking similarities” to “When I Was Your Man,” including similarities in melodies, bass lines, chord progressions, and lyrics. The complaint also references a 2023 Billboard article noting that Mars’ song features a chorus that inversely mirrors Cyrus’ chorus in “Flowers.”
Tempo is seeking unspecified monetary damages and a court order to block the alleged infringement.
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