
Queer singer Sam Smith and Normani (Fifth Harmony) are facing legal action over a song they released together: 2019’s ‘Dancing With A Stranger’.
According to Rolling Stone, the songwriters of a 2015 track by singer Jordan Vincent, ‘Dancing With Strangers’ (Vincent, Christopher Miranda, and Rosco Banlaoi), say Smith and Normani’s track plagiarized their song.
Related: Um, who’s this super hot guy Sam Smith was just photographed making out with at a bar?
In papers filed Friday in Los Angeles, they claim, “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.”
They also point to similarities in the music videos.
“Both videos consist of a girl performing interpretive dance alone in a minimalist studio, interspersed with shots of the male vocalist.
“A girl dancing alone is not an obvious visual theme for a music video titled ‘Dancing With a Stranger,’ tending to dispel any notion that this similarity is a coincidence. When the extraordinary musical similarity between the songs is also factored in, it becomes even more apparent that it is impossible that the infringing composition and sound recording were independently created.”
It goes on to say, “Defendants’ representatives were contacted in November 2020 about the similarities. Defendants were given every chance to come up with an innocent explanation, but, despite assurances that a response was coming including a musicological analysis and report, the defendants never issued a response. This suit is being filed as a last resort.”
Smith and Normani have not responded to requests for comment.
Related: How much does Sam Smith love poppers? (This much.)
This is not the first time Smith has been sued for copyright infringement. In 2015, Smith settled with Tom Petty after the veteran songwriter complained that Smith’s ‘Stay With Me’ bore similarities to his own 1989 hit, ‘I Won’t Back Down’.
Petty and co-writer Jeff Lynne were subsequently listed as co-writers on the Smith track.
‘Dancing With A Stranger’ reached number 3 in the UK charts and number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has been streamed over 3billion times, according to the lawsuit.
What do you think of the claim? Check out the two songs below.
justj1977
This lawsuit is an attempt at a money grab. The songs sound nothing alike, and having “dancing with a stranger” in a chorus is not plagiarism! ????
xnetminder
Totally agree with you on this.
Caine
I agree with both of you and the videos have nothing in common either. Jordan Vincent’s song is better if you ask me 🙂 Smith sounds like a frog croaking as usual.
barryaksarben
I love sam smith. He has a great voice and wondeful lyrics. His firs album was a classic, You can prefer one over the other but BOTH are talented no need to be nasty
GameBoy
LOVE LOVE THEM! Sam has been in the studio lately, I hope we get new music soon.
Huron132
There is nothing remotely similar other that the words. There is no beat or copy of lyrics that is even similar. This is BS and I hope to hear that this is thrown out! People will do anything toake a buck!
IanHunter
NOPE!!! This is a lawsuit to try and get money. I honestly do not remember Jordan Vincent.
Am in the PM
Yeah, I don’t see it. At all!!!!
JTinToronto
This is not the first time Sam Smith has been accused of plagiarism. “Stay With Me” was plagiarized from Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne’s “I Won’t Back Down”. Smith agreed to share royalty credits with Petty and Lynne. This happens a lot. Ed Sheeran has been charged with plagiarism numerous times. Janet Jackson completely ripped off America’s “Daisy Jane” for “Let’s Wait Awhile”.
Inspector 57
Did you even read the article?
GameBoy
Umm.. what does that lawsuit have to do with this current bogus one? weird…
tjack47
Nothing alike.
RTG
I listened to each individually then alternated between the two. Nothing there. NADA. Given what I’m seeing here, I doubt a jury would disagree with us.
norm_gilbert
Didn’t hear any similarities, only the title