Dua Lipa "Levitating" infringement lawsuit

[-Asdfgh-]

Love Dua and this song, but wow, these 2 tunes are very, very similar. I'm predicting a settlement and/or a potential writing credit on this one.

Dua Lipa Sued for Allegedly Ripping Off 'Levitating' from Reggae Band

Having listened, very similar choruses in the same key. It's not like they are just cowboy chords. And there are some lyrical similarities too beyond the melody. I suspect there will be a credit too.

However, there is some chance that it is that, chance. I have on an old 3.5 inch floppy a 12 note length melody I wrote in 1991 that a major band used in a song 5 years later apart from one change which was just an extra note between two of them at the end. I think it is unlikely they snuck into my room and copied it. The extra surprising thing there is that it used the same instrument sound. But then I've experienced a few totally unlikely things in my life like a friend trying to phone a friend when in London who lived about 5 miles from where they were at that time, putting down the phone, and seeing them right next to them. Maybe Kate Bush was right, but they weren't called 'G'.

 

[James Collins]

Both songs are inspired by the much more popular than either of them Rosa Parks. Except Dua Lipa changed the chord progression. I said this pages ago.

This is tiresome arguing. Now the main arguments seem to be:
1) "Both of them use the word night in the rhyming structure." That word has been popular in rhyme structure since at least Dylan Thomas. If someone owns the use of rhyming all night in the key of B minor, that is just dumb.

2) "People are virtue signaling." To point out the irony in a situation is a widely used joke structure. For example, imagine that a band that has based their entire career on copying other artists is suing a British woman for copying a musical idea that in both cases were probably at least subconsciously borrowed from another widely popular song. Thus a white reggae band from Florida copying the melody from a black rap duet is likely intended to have some levity.

I don't even have the best musical ear, and I independently figured out this Outkast match. That and the documentation of Dua Lipa literally referencing Outkast puts me beyond a reasonable doubt.

Having listened, very similar choruses in the same key. It's not like they are just cowboy chords. And there are some lyrical similarities too beyond the melody. I suspect there will be a credit too.

However, there is some chance that it is that, chance. I have on an old 3.5 inch floppy a 12 note length melody I wrote in 1991 that a major band used in a song 5 years later apart from one change which was just an extra note between two of them at the end. I think it is unlikely they snuck into my room and copied it. The extra surprising thing there is that it used the same instrument sound. But then I've experienced a few totally unlikely things in my life like a friend trying to phone a friend when in London who lived about 5 miles from where they were at that time, putting down the phone, and seeing them right next to them. Maybe Kate Bush was right, but they weren't called 'G'.

Also, the song is composed in B minor. Every chord is a cowboy chord on piano and guitar if you know how to use a capo.
Put the capo on 2 and I think it is just Am, Em, Dm cowboy cords. Or you could just slide the same minor Barre chord shape up and down the neck which in my opinion is easier.

 

[TinIndian]

I typically hate this kind of thing. Many of them over the years have been ridiculous.
This one is so close it's hard to deny.

 

[MrClassicMetal]

Yea, he does that in many videos and I don't understand why...

If he's going to virtue signal then I hope he demonitized his entire channel so not to profit off of anyone's culture that isn't his...

Neely's entire comment about "black culture" is a bit off. By making that statement, he is making it seem as if all people with a specific skin colour share the exact same culture. And he should know better.

Reggae is Jamaican music. There is a huge difference between music from Jamaica and music from Martinique, for example. And the populations of both islands are predominantly black. Now imagine having a group of people from Martinique visiting, and you decide to play reggae music while commenting: "Check it out, music from your culture to make you feel at home!" You'd get some puzzled looks for sure!

It's like someone stating that he likes "Asian food". Ok, what exactly does he mean by that? Because Asia is a huge continent, and there are 48 countries and cultures there.

 

[friskinator]

And now we have another: Dua Lipa is facing a second copyright lawsuit over 'Levitating'

 

[bass12]

Have there been any “Litigating” parodies put out yet? It’s only a matter of time...

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Every chord is a cowboy chord on piano and guitar if you know how to use a capo.
Put the capo on 2 and I think it is just Am, Em, Dm cowboy cords. Or you could just slide the same minor Barre chord shape up and down the neck which in my opinion is easier.

Technically true, but there are a hell of a lot of songs where the chord progression is the same with no need for a capo. People copy more directly sometimes than just putting on a capo. But then many of those songs are derived from timeless folk songs.

It's not just the chord progression, though, in this instance there are a lot of similarities between the choruses of these two songs beyond that.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Both songs are inspired by the much more popular than either of them Rosa Parks.

I am not aware of her music career. Unless this is a different Rosa Parks or a reference to the Horrible Histories song which I don't find to be similar to Dua Lipa.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

2) "People are virtue signaling.

I don't understand that. I listened to the two songs. The choruses are very similar, that's it.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Ah, now I understand the Rosa Parks comment. The Artikal Sound System sounds a lot more like the direct inspiration for the chorus, though. The rhythm guitar is a bit buried on the Dua Lipa version, but it sounds like it has direct similarities to the ASS song but not the Outkast one. Maybe DL should give something to ASS, and they should all be paying something to Outkast! And probably Bach or something .

P.S. I am not saying she did borrow from ASS. She may have done, or it may be convergent evolution. They sound similar, but it wouldn't be the first time than chance has conspired. See my comment about a much longer match with something I did, and I am 99.99% sure that was pure chance.

 

[DrummerwStrings]

I listened to both tracks on youtube. Meh. I’m not as sold as the other claim.

I will give Dua Lipa credit for having one of the few music videos with credits at the end. Would be ironic if some additional songwriters also need credit for the song.

 

[DJ Bebop]

Technically true, but there are a hell of a lot of songs where the chord progression is the same with no need for a capo. People copy more directly sometimes than just putting on a capo. But then many of those songs are derived from timeless folk songs.

It's not just the chord progression, though, in this instance there are a lot of similarities between the choruses of these two songs beyond that.

The Blues

Is a fine example of a familiar chord pattern 1-4-5 that is uncopyrighted yet, lyrics and melodies over those chords are copyrighted, just ask Led Zeppelin.

 

[James Collins]

Ah, now I understand the Rosa Parks comment. The Artikal Sound System sounds a lot more like the direct inspiration for the chorus, though. The rhythm guitar is a bit buried on the Dua Lipa version, but it sounds like it has direct similarities to the ASS song but not the Outkast one. Maybe DL should give something to ASS, and they should all be paying something to Outkast! And probably Bach or something .

P.S. I am not saying she did borrow from ASS. She may have done, or it may be convergent evolution. They sound similar, but it wouldn't be the first time than chance has conspired. See my comment about a much longer match with something I did, and I am 99.99% sure that was pure chance.

Assuming anyone ever heard the Artikal Sound System song as you alude to. You may be the only person that doesn't know the Outkast song. That was a very popular song. The situation is sort of like getting sued by Vanilla Ice for stealing his bass line while Freddy Mercury and David Bowie just shake their heads.

 

[James Collins]

I don't understand that. I listened to the two songs. The choruses are very similar, that's it.

This was reference to other posts sharing scorn for Adam Neely in his video, though he wasn't the first to make this off hand comment.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Assuming anyone ever heard the Artikal Sound System song as you alude to.

Yes. I'm not convinced Lipa would have heard it. Her song is very similar to it, though, in places. I am not sure how she'd prove she hadn't heard it.

You may be the only person that doesn't know the Outkast song. That was a very popular song.

I am sure there are many popular songs I've missed. Was it popular in the UK? I've probably missed most popular songs released since 2000. I mean, I'm not really even familiar with the work of Adele. I think I last intentionally listened to Radio 1 in the UK for more than 5 minutes in about 1996. I loved 'Hey Ya', though.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

The Blues
View attachment 4612512

Is a fine example of a familiar chord pattern 1-4-5 that is uncopyrighted yet, lyrics and melodies over those chords are copyrighted, just ask Led Zeppelin.

View attachment 4612527

By timeless folk songs I was thinking more of the sort of stuff that Fairport Convention used, not all the stuff that Jimmy Page may or may not have heard by people who may or may not have been the original artists. Allegedly.

 

[DJ Bebop]

By timeless folk songs I was thinking more of the sort of stuff that Fairport Convention used, not all the stuff that Jimmy Page may or may not have heard by people who may or may not have been the original artists. Allegedly.

I wasn't going against what you said. It just reminded me of that.

You're good, carry on!

 

[-Asdfgh-]

By timeless folk songs I was thinking more of the sort of stuff that Fairport Convention used, not all the stuff that Jimmy Page may or may not have heard by people who may or may not have been the original artists. Allegedly.

For an ongoing project of mine I have lately been listening to medieval music. I can be pretty sure it's not under copyright in terms of the original music, maybe just specific arrangements. Working band title will indicate that it's music that has been borrowed.

I did used to drive previous band members nuts by doing things like trying to send REM royalties because I'd borrowed a bassline from it for an otherwise original song. That was a long time ago (obviously before 1996).

 

[DJ Bebop]

For an ongoing project of mine I have lately been listening to medieval music. I can be pretty sure it's not under copyright in terms of the original music, maybe just specific arrangements. Working band title will indicate that it's music that has been borrowed.

I did used to drive previous band members nuts by doing things like trying to send REM royalties because I'd borrowed a bassline from it for an otherwise original song. That was a long time ago (obviously before 1996).

Is that where that Trad or Trad Arangment thing comes from? A song is so old that the original artist is unknown or no family left to attribute credit or money too?

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Is that where that Trad or Trad Arangment thing comes from? A song is so old that the original artist is unknown or no family left to attribute credit or money too?

Oh, with stuff that's 500 years old, I imagine I am probably part of the extended family . Some of the stuff even then has identified official writers. But then did they borrow it from Blind Turnip Samuel down the local tavern uncredited?