Miley Cyrus faces copyright lawsuit over flowers

In January 2023, Miley Cyrus released her hit single 'Flowers,' which quickly surpassed a billion streams on Spotify within just 112 days and reached the top of Billboard's Hot 100 chart. This breakup anthem garnered significant attention, especially in light of its presumed references to Cyrus' ex-husband, Liam Hemsworth. However, the track's success was overshadowed when Tempo Music Investments, LLC filed a copyright lawsuit alleging that 'Flowers' borrowed elements from Bruno Mars' song 'When I Was Your Man.' Tempo highlighted similarities in melody, harmony, and song structure, claiming that the opening vocal lines of both songs share identical chords. The lawsuit has raised eyebrows in the music industry, especially since 'When I Was Your Man' was released a decade prior, complicating attempts to show that 'Flowers' negatively impacted its sales. In response, Cyrus' legal team argued that Tempo's complaint lacked merit because it did not involve Mars, the co-writer of the original track. They asserted that Tempo only acquired partial rights and posed that any similarities were mere coincidences—common musical elements rather than direct copies. To proceed with the lawsuit, Tempo must prove that Cyrus had access to the original work, that there are significant similarities, and that damages were incurred due to 'Flowers' success. The music world is watching closely, as this case exemplifies the ongoing complexities of copyright claims in popular music, where originality is increasingly difficult to establish.