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Does Miley Cyrus' 2023 hit single "Flowers" remind you of another song?
The "Wrecking Ball" icon is being sued as part of a lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles on Monday (September 16), claiming that she "copied" a popular 2012 chartbuster to create the catchy, GRAMMY-winning single.
According to People, Tempo Music Investments, who own a share of copyright in Bruno Mars' "When I Was Your Man", are taking legal action against Cyrus for the songs' "undeniable" similarities. Per the official court document:
"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.'" The complaint goes on to state that "Flowers" bears duplicate "melodic, harmonic, and lyrical" elements to Mars' song, created 12 years prior. Tempo Music Investments proceeded to accuse the Hannah Montana alum for "copyright infringement," among other actions.
"Accordingly, Plaintiff brings this action for copyright infringement arising out of Defendants' unauthorized reproduction, distribution and exploitation of 'When I Was Your Man'."
People mentioned that the alternative investment platform also listed songwriters "Gregory Hein and Michael Pollack" and corporations "Sony Music Publishing and Apple" in the lawsuit. They urged that striking similarities between the two singles are noticeable from the very beginning of Cyrus' track.
"...the opening vocal line from the chorus of 'Flowers' begins and ends on the same chords as the opening vocal line in the verse of 'When I Was Your Man.' "
Mars was not named as a plaintiff in the documents, and neither Cyrus, nor the "Treasure" artist have commented on the legalities unfolding in real time.