Sam Smith is the latest artist to be hit with a major lawsuit over alleged idea theft. He and his “Dancing With a Stranger” collaborator, Normani, have been accused of plagiarizing their 2019 hit.
Billboard reports that songwriters Jordan Vincent, Christopher Miranda and Rosco Banlaoi filed suit against Sam and Normani on Friday, claiming the duo stole their 2015 song, “Dancing with Strangers.”
“The hook/chorus in both songs — the most significant part and artistic aspect of these works — contains the lyrics ‘dancing with a stranger’ being sung over a nearly identical melody and musical composition,” the lawsuit states. “In both songs, the title, hook, chorus, lyrics, and musical composition are all the same — and are repeated throughout the song giving both songs their identities.”
The 2015 song had allegedly been shopped to other labels before it was ultimately released on SoundCloud a year later, then debuted on Spotify and YouTube in 2017. The songwriters claim it was “immediately obvious” that Sam and Normani swiped their song upon hearing it in 2019.
“It is beyond any real doubt that Smith, Normani, and the other defendants copied Plaintiff’s work,” the suit declares. “The protected expression in both the Infringing Song and Plaintiff’s preexisting work is nearly identical and is strikingly similar.”
The trio also claim Sam and Normani stole elements of their music video for their own, saying it bears “extraordinary similarities” to their earlier work.
Vincent, Miranda and Banlaoi are seeking unspecified monetary damages as well as “declarations of authorship and ownership,” among other demands. They have requested a jury trial.
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