Olivia Rodrigo is speaking out against the plagiarism accusations surrounding her work.
From the past few months, the hitmaker has faced an onslaught of criticism tied to her interpolation of everything from Elvis Costello’s “Pump It Up” riff on “brutal”, for using the melody from Paramore’s “Misery Business,” to Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” on “déjà vu.
She amended the songwriting, as well as the credits for “déjà vu,” which currently lists Swift, St. Vincent’s Annie Clark, and producer Jack Antonoff as contributors.
A Sour Note
Unfortunately, the accusations are still a hot topic on social media. Now though, Rodrigo has finally broken her silence on the issue by telling Teen Vogue that “nothing in music is ever new.”
“Nothing in music is ever new,” she continued. “There’s four chords in every song. That’s the fun part — trying to make that your own.”
Rodrigo told reporter P. Claire Dodson, “What’s so beautiful about music is that it can be so inspired by music that’s come out in the past.”
Rodrigo has been vocal about her songwriting influences, particularly Taylor Swift. She was originally listed as a co-writer on “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back,” the fourth track on Rodrigo’s acclaimed debut album Sour.
Dodson explained interpolation by commenting, “When you record part of a song created by someone else and use it in a new way,” as opposed to the copy-and-paste act known as sampling. It requires permission from whoever wrote the composition, who are also entitled to a share of royalties.”
Rodrigo has remained largely silent about these retroactive additions. This silence has emboldened critics who claim her music is derivative at best and plagiaristic at worse.
Women in the Music Industry
In a follow-up phone call with Dodson, Rodrigo said that she didn’t address the controversy “as truthfully as [she] could have” in their original interview.
“I think it’s disappointing to see people take things out of context and discredit any young woman’s work,” Rodrigo said. “But at the end of the day, I’m just really proud and happy to say that my job is being a songwriter.”
“Every single artist is inspired by artists who have come before them. It’s sort of a fun, beautiful sharing process.”
“Obviously, I write all of my lyrics from my heart and my life first. I came up with the lyrics and the melody for ‘Good 4 U’ one morning in the shower.”
She also said – it’s “frustrating” to see young women in the industry held to a higher standard. Particularly when it comes to keeping a squeaky-clean reputation.
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