3 weeks ago
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Elvis Costello has Olivia Rodrigo’s back, and he’s not afraid to say it.
While some artists have gone full-on legal eagle over song similarities, Elvis is taking a chill approach to the comparisons between his classic “Pump It Up” and Olivia’s hit “Brutal.”
In an October 2024 interview with Vanity Fair, three years after “Brutal” first dropped, the English songwriter was once again asked why he didn’t bring in the lawyers (and the potential millions in royalties).
“Now, I did not find any reason to go after them legally for that, because I think it would be ludicrous,” he said. “It’s a shared language of music. Other people clearly felt differently about other songs on that record.”
Olivia’s been in this territory before. In 2023, Rolling Stone asked her if she’d ever get legal over another artist’s song sounding similar to hers. Her response? Very similar to Elvis’.
“I don’t think I would ever personally do that,” she said at the time. “But who’s to say where I’ll be in 20, 30 years. All that I can do is write my songs and focus on what I can control.”
Still, not everyone was as easygoing about her work. Following the release of her debut album SOUR, fans noticed Taylor Swift’s name on Olivia’s hit “Deja Vu.” Taylor’s track “Cruel Summer” seemed to find a second home in the SOUR singer’s song, and soon, Taylor was retroactively credited on the track.
And that’s not the end of it. Only a few months later, Paramore’s Hayley Williams and Josh Farro got writing credits for “Good 4 U,” another hit from Olivia’s debut, which some listeners felt channeled Paramore’s 2007 anthem, “Misery Business.” Ultimately, Olivia ended up giving up 50% of the royalties for each song as a result of the additional credits, though both additions were handled quietly and amicably behind the scenes.
While neither Olivia nor Taylor have spoken much about each other publicly since, the “bad idea right?” did address rumors of a possible feud when Rolling Stone asked her point-blank in September 2023.
“I don’t have beef with anyone,” she told them. “I’m very chill. I keep to myself. I have my four friends and my mom, and that’s really the only people I talk to, ever. There’s nothing to say.”
And for anyone wondering if she’s scrolling through social media to check the tea? Not so much. “There’s so many Twitter conspiracy theories. I only look at alien-conspiracy theories,” she added with a laugh.
Still, Olivia was candid about feeling a bit blindsided by the SOUR songwriting credits situation.
“At the time it was very confusing, and I was green and bright-eyed and bushy-tailed,” she explained. “It’s not something that I was super involved in. It was more team-on-team. So, I wouldn’t be the best person to ask.”
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English (US) ·