French disco singer Amanda Lear has publicly accused American singer Miley Cyrus of plagiarising one of her songs from the 1970s.
Lear, the model-turned-singer who was a muse of surrealist artist Salvador Dalí and was romantically linked to Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones, criticised Cyrus over alleged similarities between her 1978 song, “The Sphinx,” and Cyrus’ new track, “Redlights.”
Cyrus released her 10th album, “Bass Persuades,” last Friday. The 10-track dance-pop album includes “Redlights,” a ballad that Lear says bears similarities to her slower, gravelly-voiced song.
“Thank you, Miley, for copying my song ‘The Sphinx’! I’m flattered!” Lear wrote on social media on Sunday, adding the hashtags “ripoff” and “copycat.”
Speaking to AFP on Monday, Lear said she was not personally seeking legal action but that her record label, Universal, and the publishers of “The Sphinx” wanted the alleged plagiarism to be acknowledged.
“I’ve never been litigious, but my record label, Universal, and the publishers of the track, for which I wrote the lyrics, want acknowledgment of the plagiarism,” Lear said.
“I simply pointed out the situation by thanking Miley Cyrus and adding that I was flattered. I never threatened a lawsuit or retaliation,” she added.
Lear, who has released more than 20 albums during her career, became a prominent figure in London’s Swinging Sixties and was associated with several leading figures in the arts and music.
The Rolling Stones are also believed to have referenced her in “Miss Amanda Jones,” a song associated with the band’s 1967 album, “Between the Buttons.”
AFP
