Miley Cyrus is sued over “Flowers” ​​and accused of copying Bruno Mars’ song

Last year, Miley Cyrus released her hugely successful comeback hit, “Flowers,” and many people noticed that it seemed to be structured like a response to Bruno Mars' 2013 chart-topping “When I Was Your Man.” On the chorus of that song, Mars sang, “I should've bought you flowers and held your hand/ I should've given you all my hours when I had the chance.” In “Flowers,” Cyrus sang, “I can buy me flowers, write my name in the sand/ Talk to myself for hours, say things you don't understand.” “Flowers” debuted at No. 1 and won Record of the Year at the Grammys. Now the song is the subject of a lawsuit over its similarities to “When I Was Your Man.”

Bruno Mars, who co-wrote and co-produced “When I Was Your Man,” is not the party suing Miley Cyrus. He is not involved in the lawsuit at all. Instead, TMZ reports that Tempo Music Investments, a company that claims to have an ownership interest in the copyright of “When I Was Your Man,” has filed a lawsuit against Cyrus. It accuses Cyrus of “intentionally copying” Mars' song, arguing, “Due to the combination and number of similarities between the two recordings, there is no denying that 'Flowers' would not exist without 'When I Was Your Man.'” According to the lawsuit, the melody, chord progression and lyrics of “Flowers” are substantially similar to those of “When I Was Your Man.” In addition to seeking to defraud Cyrus of money, Tempo Music also seeks to prevent her from distributing or performing “Flowers.”

Accordingly NewsweekProvidence Equity Partners and Warner Music Group formed Tempo Music Investments in 2019 – six years after Mars released “When I Was Your Man” – and the company invests in music rights. Atlantic Records, Bruno Mars' label, is a subsidiary of WMG. In a 2021 press release, Providence announced that it had acquired the catalog of Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars' frequent collaborator. Lawrence, a member of Mars' songwriting group The Smeezingtons, co-wrote and co-produced “When I Was Your Man.”