Miley Cyrus is facing a lawsuit that claims her hit song “Flowers” infringes on the copyright of Bruno Mars’s 2013 track “When I Was Your Man.” According to documents obtained by E! News, the suit was filed on September 16th by Temple Music Investments and names Miley, her co-writers Gregory Hayne and Michael Pollock, as well as several entertainment companies involved in the distribution of “Flowers.”
The lawsuit alleges that “Flowers” contains numerous melodic, harmonic, and lyrical similarities to Mars’s song. It argues that anyone familiar with “When I Was Your Man” would recognize these parallels, asserting that “Flowers” duplicates specific elements such as melodic pitch design, the connecting baseline, and key phrases in the chorus.
In the filings, it is stated, “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.'” This has led Temple Music Investments to pursue a case for copyright infringement, claiming unauthorized reproduction, distribution, and exploitation of Mars’s work.
The lawsuit further emphasizes that the lyrics in Miley’s chorus have a significant connection to those in Bruno’s song, arguing that the musical similarities are not coincidental. Temple Music Investments is requesting that Miley and the other defendants be prohibited from reproducing, distributing, or publicly performing “Flowers,” in addition to seeking damages that will be determined during the trial.
This news comes just seven months after Miley earned her first two Grammy Awards for “Record of the Year” and “Best Pop Solo Performance” for “Flowers.” Prior to her nominations, she shared insights into the song’s creative process in an interview with British Vogue, explaining that the original chorus was different but ultimately evolved into the empowering anthem it is today.
As this legal battle unfolds, it will be interesting to see how it impacts Miley’s career and the ongoing discourse around copyright in the music industry.
