Names and faces
■ A federal judge in Los Angeles handed a major victory to Katy Perry by overturning a jury verdict that found the pop superstar and her collaborators copied her 2013 hit “Dark Horse” from a 2009 Christian rap song. U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder said in her decision issued Tuesday that the disputed section of the rap song, “Joyful Noise” by rapper Marcus Gray was not distinctive enough to be protected by copyright as the jury found. “It is undisputed in this case, even viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to plaintiffs, that the signature elements of the eight-note ostinato in ‘Joyful Noise’ is not a particularly unique or rare combination,” Snyder wrote in her decision. The plaintiffs plan to appeal, Gray’s attorney, Michael A. Kahn, said in an email, referencing the numerous pretrial rulings in his client’s favor. In August, the jury had awarded Gray and his co-writers $2.78 million from Perry and her songwriting partners, Dr. Luke, Max Martin and Circuit. Perry, who testified at trial and jokingly offered to perform the song live when the recording had technical difficulties, had been personally ordered to pay $550,000. Gray, a native of St. Louis who went by the stage name Flame, first sued Perry in 2014, the year “Dark Horse” spent four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Perry and her and her co-writers all testified that they had never before heard “Joyful Noise.”
■ Drake has landed his 208th song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, setting a new record for most songs on the music chart. The rapper’s latest track, “Oprah’s Bank Account” with DaBaby and Lil Yachty, debuted at No. 89 on the Hot 100 chart this week and helps Drake surpass the 207-song run the cast of Glee held on the chart. Glee aired its popular run from 2009 through 2015, and its cover versions of well-known songs would debut on the charts after episodes aired. The cast released several platinum- and gold-selling albums and even earned a Grammy nomination in a category reserved for pop groups, pitting the cast against the likes of Maroon 5, Sade, Paramore and Train. Drake, who launched his entertainment career as a cast member of the Canadian high school series Degrassi: The Next Generation, first charted on the Hot 100 with “Best I Ever Had” in 2009, eventually reaching the No. 2 spot. He has topped the chart with the songs “One Dance,” “God’s Plan,” “Nice for What” and “In My Feelings.” His collaborations with Rihanna — “What’s My Name?” and “Work” — also reached No. 1. Lil Wayne is behind Drake and Glee with 168 songs to reach the Hot 100 chart. The top 10 also includes Elvis Presley, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Chris Brown, Taylor Swift and Future.