Miley Cyrus Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Copyright Infringement on Hit Single "Flowers"

Miley Cyrus is embroiled in a lawsuit following accusations that her 2023 Grammy-winning single, "Flowers", infringes upon Bruno Mars’ 2013 ballad, "When I Was Your Man". The suit, lodged in Los Angeles federal court by Tempo Music Investments, alleges that the song encroaches on Mars’ original composition. Notably, Mars himself is not listed as a plaintiff. Tempo Music, which bought rights from co-writer Philip Lawrence, maintains ownership of part of Mars' track.

Document filings secured by TMZ reveal that "Flowers" mirrors components of Mars' song in terms of harmony, melody, chord progressions, and lyrics. Tempo Music's filing suggests unauthorized "exploitation" and has named co-writers Gregory Hein and Michael Pollack, along with multiple major firms such as Sony Music Publishing, Apple, Target, and Walmart, for distributing the contentious single. Page Six reports that representatives for both Cyrus and Mars have not commented.

Tempo Music seeks unspecified damages and aims to prohibit further reproduction, distribution, or public performance of "Flowers". According to the lawsuit, the melody, harmony, verse, bass line, and several bars of the chorus bear too much resemblance to Mars' ballad, creating a "derivative work" without authorization. They assert, "It is undeniable based on the number and combination of similarities between the two recordings that ‘Flowers’ would not exist without ‘When I Was Your Man'."

In contrast, The Guardian spotlighted Cyrus’s triumph as she secured her first ever Grammy, for Best Pop Solo Performance, with "Flowers", marking eight weeks at number 1 in the US and ten in the UK across 2022. Despite her rising success, Cyrus publicly questioned why the accolade only arrived now, considering her longstanding and impactful career spanning over two decades.

Reflecting on her trajectory from her early beginnings at age 12 starring in Disney Channel's "Hannah Montana", to hit tracks like "Party in the U.S.A." and "Wrecking Ball", Cyrus voiced her gratitude but emphasized value beyond awards, proclaiming during her speech, "Not everyone in the world will get a Grammy, but everyone is spectacular. So please don’t think that this is important."

Speculation also brews that "Flowers" is inspired by her tumultuous relationship and marriage to **Liam Hemsworth** from 2018 to 2020, though the artist's focus remains on her career milestone and evolving legacy.

Earlier, SSP wrote that Pharrell Williams encourages fans to prepare for upcoming Beyoncé music.