Radiohead creeped out by Lana del Rey song similarities
NEW YORK: Singer Lana Del Rey said Sunday that English rockers Radiohead have sued for writing credit on one of her songs, seeing uncanny similarities to their breakthrough track “Creep”.
The 32-year-old Los Angelesbased singer, like Radiohead known for the frequent darkness of her music, insisted she had not been inspired by “Creep”.
The dispute centres on “Get Free”, the closing track on her last album “Lust for Life”, which opens with seemingly identical guitar chords to “Creep” at a similar, steady-churning tempo.
Del Rey confirmed a lawsuit after it was reported by British tabloid The Sun, saying that she had offered a compromise but that Radiohead wanted full credit.
“I offered up to 40 (per cent) over the last few months but they will only accept 100,” Del Rey wrote on Twitter.
“Their lawyers have been relentless, so we will deal with it in court,” she said.
A representative for Radiohead did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent late Sunday.
“Creep” was Radiohead’s debut single, propelling the Oxfordbased band to stardom. The rockers have since moved in a more experimental direction and only play “Creep” sparingly in concert.
While “Creep” jolts listeners with lighting-like electric guitar strokes, “Get Free” has a comparatively upbeat chorus.
The music industry has seen a series of high-profile songwriting disputes in recent years.
English soul singer Sam Smith added Tom Petty to the credits, ensuring royalties, over similarities between Smith’s ballad “Stay With Me” and the American rocker’s “I Won’t Back Down”.
And in a case that struck fear among many songwriters, a jury in 2015 awarded more than US$7 million to the estate of Marvin Gaye after deciding that Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams’ 2013 smash hit “Blurred Lines” lifted from the late soul legend’s “Got to Give It Up”. — AFP