Robbie Williams defends Olivia Rodrigo after claims she ‘copied’ his song
Robbie Williams defended Olivia Rodrigo (Getty Images)
Robbie Williams has responded to claims from fans that Olivia Rodrigo’s new Christmas single sounds like his 2012 hit “Candy”, saying he “couldn’t care less” and is “not going after her”.
The comments follow online chatter after 23-year-old Rodrigo released “take me home (4 christmas)” last week. Some listeners have argued its melody and beat sound similar to “Candy”, which Williams previously took to the top of the charts.
Williams, who previously said he “wanted to be gay”, suggested that, if there is a resemblance, it is not something he is interested in escalating.
He said the songstress “may have accidentally stumbled across a musical echo of mine”, adding on Instagram: “We all stand on the shoulders of people who came before us.”
Robbie Williams brushes off ‘Candy’ comparisons
In his post, Williams said he has been frustrated by how quickly similarity claims can turn into pile-ons.
“There’s something about the music industry that’s been bothering me for a while. People coming after people because they’ve spotted a similarity between two songs,” he wrote.
“Some of it I completely understand. Some of it is absolutely justified. Most of it, I think, is complete b*******.”
Williams also argued that overlap is inevitable, writing that there are “only so many note” and chords, and that “we’re all going to bump into each other eventually”.
He added that he does not want to get drawn into the legal side of the debate, saying: “I don’t know whether there’s technically a publishing issue, a copyright issue, or no issue whatsoever. And I don’t want to know. I’m not going after her. Because I think at some point, some f****** sanity has to prevail.”
Robbie Williams praises Olivia Rodrigo
Williams also criticised what he sees as opportunism around these moments, writing: “Some of this stuff has become ambulance chasing. And I think it’s disgusting.”
He then made clear he is a fan of Rodrigo, adding: “I love Olivia Rodrigo. I’ve loved her since Brutal. What a f****** record. I wish I’d made it,” before signing off by telling her he thinks she’s “f****** brilliant”.
Legal disputes over alleged plagiarism in pop have become increasingly common in recent years, and Rodrigo has previously faced public accusations of copying artwork and music.
She added Taylor Swift and some of her co-writers to the credits of her songs “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back” and “Deja Vu” after claims they shared similarities to Swift’s “New Year’s Day” and “Cruel Summer”, respectively.
Rodrigo also added Hayley Williams and Josh Farro of the band Paramore to the credits of her hit single “good 4 u” after claims it sounded similar to “Misery Business”.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
