Ariana Grande Sued for Copyright Infringement Over '7 Rings' — but Not for the Reason You Think
Ariana Grande is being sued for copyright infringement over her smash hit “7 Rings,” according to complaint documents obtained by PEOPLE.
In a federal complaint filed in New York on Thursday, hip-hop artist Josh Stone — who performs under the name DOT — accuses the 26-year-old singer and her songwriting team of plagiarism, claiming they lifted the hook from his 2017 song “You Need It, I Got It” and used it for the chorus of Grande’s 2019 single.
Stone alleges in the complaint that “highly regarded musicology experts” have found the two songs to share similar elements, including a likeness in its beat and lyrics.
“Literally, every single one of the 39 respective notes of ‘7 Rings’ is identical with the 39 notes of ‘I Got It’ from a metrical placement perspective,” the lawsuit alleges. “Said another way, the rhythm and placement of the notes and lyrics are identical.”
The complaint also claims the two song’s hooks each contain 12 words, with “7 Rings” — which includes the refrain: “I want it, I got it / I want it, I got it” — sharing nine identical words with the chorus of Stone’s track.
Stone claims in the complaint that he had initially pitched “You Need It, I Got It” to Tommy Brown, who worked on all five of Grande’s studio albums, during a 2017 meeting with Universal Music Group. He also says the producer showed interest in a collaboration, but Stone believes Brown “simply took” his song to Grande and “later repackaged” it to “7 Rings,” according to the suit.
According to the complaint, “7 Rings” has generated over $10 million in profit.
Stone is seeking monetary damages, according to his complaint, as well as the destruction of any copies of the song that the defendants listed in the lawsuit may have in their possession.
Representatives for Grande and her music label, Republic Records, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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Tamir Young, an attorney for Stone, told PEOPLE on Thursday that the lawsuit is “about protecting artists and their work.”
“Josh’s song was taken and used without his consent, without his knowledge and without a license. Many people made a LOT of money on Josh’s work,” Young said. “And that is wrong. It is copyright infringement. Laws were specifically created to protect artists like Josh from copyright infringement. Those laws were violated and Josh has rights that we are now exercising to right that wrong.”
“7 Rings”, which samples Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “My Favorite Things,” is currently nominated for multiple Grammy Awards, including record of the year.
The New York Times previously reported that Grande signed away 90 percent of the songwriting royalties for the No. 1 track, as much of its melody is lifted from the famed songwriting duo’s 1959 classic, featured in The Sound of Music.
The song, which has been certified platinum multiple times, has also set Spotify’s record for the most streams in 24 hours.
TMZ was the first to report on the lawsuit.
