Miley Cyrus‘ “Flowers” was the pop hit of 2023. The song won the Disney Channel alum her first Grammy Award, and it popped off on the charts. But many speculated whether or not the single was partially inspired by another famous one: Bruno Mars‘ “When I Was Your Man.” Although neither Miley nor Bruno has commented on the rumors, the “Wrecking Ball” hitmaker was just hit with a lawsuit, which accused her of copying his song.
Is Bruno Mars Suing Miley Cyrus?
Although the lawsuit pertains to his song, Bruno was not named in the court documents, according to multiple outlets. Tempo Music Investments owns a copyright share of “When I Was Your Man” and claimed that there are “striking similarities” between that song and Miley’s “Flowers.”
The lawsuit, which was filed in in a Los Angeles court on Monday, September 16, also accuses multiple companies of distributing “Flowers,” including Sony Music Publishing, Apple, Target and Walmart.
Why Is Miley Cyrus Being Sued Over ‘Flowers’?
Miley is being sued for alleged copyright, according to Temple Music Investments’ lawsuit.
“It is undeniable based on the combination and number of similarities between the two recordings that ‘Flowers’ would not exist without ‘When I Was Your Man,’” the court documents read, per Us Weekly. “Accordingly, Plaintiff brings this action for copyright infringement arising out of Defendants’ unauthorized reproduction, distribution and exploitation of ‘When I Was Your Man.”
The court documents further claimed that Miley’s song “duplicates numerous melodic, harmonic, and lyrical elements” of Bruno’s hit track.
‘Flowers’ vs. ‘When I Was Your Man’ Lyrics
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The two songs have been compared to one another ever since “Flowers” was released in 2023. Though they don’t sound similar in tempo or sound, fans pointed out that the lyrics are somewhat similar.
In the chorus of “Flowers,” Miley sings, “I can buy myself flowers / Write my name in the sand / Talk to myself for hours / See things you don’t understand / I can take myself dancing / And I can hold my own hand / Yeah, I can love me better than you can.”
In “When I Was Your Man,” Bruno begins the chorus by singing, “That I should’ve bought you flowers / And held your hand / Should’ve gave you all my hours / When I had the chance / Take you to every party / ‘Cause all you wanted to do was dance / Now my baby’s dancing / But she’s dancing with another man.”
In terms of their respective messages, both songs are a stark contrast to one other. Bruno’s track is remorseful, as he watches a former partner move on with a new man, while Miley’s song is a self-empowering tune that pays tribute to embracing the single life.
Neither Miley nor Bruno has publicly commented on the lawsuit.