Lizzo accused of plagiarism for second time over No 1 single 'Truth Hurts'
Hit song allegedly shares melody and lyrics with a track from 2017
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Lizzo has been accused of plagiarism for the second time over her number one hit single “Truth Hurts”.
Songwriter and producer Justin Raisen posted a video on Instagram comparing “Truth Hurts”, which has just spent six weeks at the top of the US charts, to a song called “Healthy” that he and others co-wrote with Lizzo in 2017.
The two tracks, he claims, have the same melody and opening line: “I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m 100 per cent that bitch.”
Explaining he was going public with his accusation due to “emotional distress”, Raisen captioned the video: “We were never contacted about being credited for the use of the parts of 'Healthy' (melody, lyrics, and chords) that appear in ‘Truth Hurts’.”
“We’ve tried to sort this out quietly for the last two years, only asking for 5 per cent [songwriting royalties] each, but were shut down every time.”
He added: “The last thing we want to do is throw any negativity toward Lizzo’s momentum and movement as a cultural figure.
“If we believe in what she’s preaching, believing in ourselves and our own voices is something we thought she’d understand.”
The Independent has contacted Lizzo’s representatives for comment.
Lizzo was first accused of plagiarism in February 2018 by British singer Mina Lioness for the “100 per cent that bitch” lyric.
Raisen acknowledged Lioness’s claims in his Instagram post, saying that if the dispute is settled he will share the proceeds with her.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments