Olivia Dean's song accused of copying Bill Withers' 'Just the Two of Us'

[TaylorSwift 164,548]

The music publisher for late R&B great Bill Withers sued Universal Music Group on Thursday, alleging that an ‌Olivia Dean song from her hit album "The Art of Loving" unlawfully copied Withers' classic "Just the Two of Us."

The publisher says a musicologist who reviewed the songs found “substantial similarities” and repeated copying of a “distinctively protectable melody.”

“The number, character, and arrangement of the shared musical features are so striking that they support an inference that the similarities did not result from coincidence, independent creation, or reliance on common musical elements,” the new lawsuit states.

The seven-page copyright infringement complaint names Capitol Records, Universal Music Group, and Dean’s publishing companies as the defendants. It does not seek damages from Dean or her co-writers on the song, Bastian Langebaek and Max Wolfgang.

[TheMontebello 1,405]

I just clicked because I thought it was Rodrigo 

But yep, she definitely did 

And his song is great, unlike hers. I'm not a hater but I can not stand her voice. 

Edited October 1 by TheMontebello

[LOVEDRUG 11,357]

There are similarities, but nothing that I think is particularly actionable.

Just The Two of Us is one of those songs that's so ubiquitous and such a classic that something like this is bound to happen eventually. I always think that many of these cases are rather silly, because it's rarely 'big artist rips off small artist' but is often instead 'young artist's song sounds somewhat like hugely influential older artist's song', which is something that is simply bound to happen when your work enters the musical canon to this extent.

Art is just one big feedback loop of inspiration, and I'm yet to come across a single musical plagiarism case that convincingly argues that something was intentionally copied.

[huttont 6,084]

Eh I hear the melody and progression that is similar…but the songs to me are not very similar overall 

[DelusionalGaga 29,752]

Yeah, the melody is quite similar. The Bill Withers song was all over Tiktok for years. I wouldn't be surprised if Olivia unintentionally lifted it. 

Edited October 1 by DelusionalGaga

[Skyana Rava 2,903]

oh for goodness' sake

[jackweller 571]

Totally agree. As soon as the album came out and I heard this song my first thought was it sounds like JTTOU.

[qoqo 4,193]

A mashup of just the two of us and in my life by the beatles, yep

[weed 79,456]

I loveeee Just The Two of Us (the version I have downloaded is 7 min! soo good, so beautiful to listen to) and girl... it sounds like a modern version of the song, so similar. 

Will Smith's version is sooo good, too

Edited October 1 by weed

[Decodekid 31,144]

I thought it was sampled when I first heard the album oop. 

[LGAte 1,443]

I kinda hear it but lowkey don’t give a ****.

[MonsterJay 1,563]

Ooop wait 😅
I thought they were talking about one of Olivia’s other songs, disregard lmao

Edited October 2 by MonsterJay

[MACATL 2,209]

Her song is one of the most mundane songs Ive listened to in a while.  

[BLACKOUTbritney 22,369]

Baby steps is also a rip off of Marvin Gaye inner city blues - but it’s a bop regardless and deserves Man that I Needs success