Legal Battle: Tempo Music vs. Miley Cyrus Over 'Flowers' and 'When I Was Your Man' Similarities
A legal battle is ongoing between Miley Cyrus and Tempo Music regarding the alleged similarities between Cyrus' song "Flowers" and Bruno Mars' "When I Was Your Man." Tempo Music is contesting Cyrus' attempt to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming that there are undeniable similarities between the two songs. The company argues that the resemblance goes beyond common breakup song themes and has been noted by fans and critics alike.
Tempo Music's lead attorney, Alex M. Weingarten, emphasizes the immediate recognition of similarities between "Flowers" and "When I Was Your Man" when the former was released. The lawsuit, filed by Tempo in September 2024, alleges that "Flowers" borrowed various elements from Mars' song, including melodic and harmonic components, pitch ending patterns, and bass-line structure. Despite Cyrus' defense that the shared lyrics are common in breakup songs, Tempo insists that the entire arrangement of Bruno's chorus is protected by copyright law.
The legal dispute stems from the perception that "Flowers" was a response to "When I Was Your Man," with fans speculating that Cyrus aimed the song at her ex-husband, Liam Hemsworth. Tempo, having acquired the copyrights of Philip Lawrence, Mars' co-writer for "When I Was Your Man," has pursued the case against Cyrus. The company refutes Cyrus' argument that the lyrics in question are merely commonplace phrases, asserting that the issue warrants a jury trial due to the substantial similarities between the songs.
In response to Cyrus' claim that "Flowers" falls under fair use as a critique of Mars' song, Tempo's attorneys dismiss this defense as contradictory and baseless. They maintain that "Flowers" amounts to theft by appropriating elements from "When I Was Your Man" for commercial purposes. The legal battle continues as Tempo Music seeks to establish the infringement of copyright in the case against Miley Cyrus.