Ariana Grande Hit With Copyright Lawsuit Over “7 Rings”

Ariana Grande’s “7 rings” was one of the biggest songs of 2019. The big-spending anthem topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a total of 8 weeks and amassed more than one billion listens on Spotify. It has also been the source of a bit of drama. After it first dropped, some critics noted similarities to songs from the likes of 2 Chainz and Princess Nokia. The song also made headlines when we learned the percentage of writing royalties Ari gave up to secure a Sound of Music sample. Then its video was at the middle of a lawsuit after the ponytail afficianodo sued Forever 21 over an ad campaign the clothing company ran.

That sparked complaints from Farrah Moan who claimed Ari lifted one of her looks for the video. After the dust from that settled it was quiet for a couple months. But now “7 Rings” is in the middle of more drama. This time it’s another lawsuit. Yesterday (January 16) reports broke that the diva was sued by Josh Stone (artist name DOT) for ripping off his 2017 song “You Need It I Got It.” In particular, Stone cites analysis from two musicologists that noted similarities between the two releases. That includes the delivery of the track’s now-iconic “I want it, I got it” chorus. His attorney Tamir Young opened up about the complaint in a quote shared with Billboard.

“The level of copying in ‘7 Rings’ is simply shocking,” Young said. “This is a stronger case of infringement than ‘Blurred Lines’ or Katy Perry’s ‘Dark Horse.’ The rash of copyright infringement in music has caused incredible harm and injustice to lesser known or up and coming artists and songwriters.” The suit also claims that Stone played the song in front of Ariana’s collaborator Thomas Lee Brown during a meeting in 2017. We’ll be keeping an eye on this case to see how it develops. In the meantime, listen to both songs below and let us know what you think.

“7 Rings”

“You Need It I Got It”

Do you see the similarities? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!