The comparisons and mash-ups on social media were spot on – so much so, that Hayley Williams now gets a credit on Olivia’s “Good 4 U”!
From Variety:
Olivia Rodrigo has retroactively added two members of Paramore to the writing credits of her hit single “Good 4 U” — the second time she’s made such a revision for songs from her blockbuster debut album, “Sour.” She had previously added Taylor Swift and cowriters to the credits of her song “Déjà vu”; Swift and cowriters were credited on Rodrigo’s “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back” at the time of its release.
Paramore singer Hayley Williams, who is often cited as an influence and reference for Rodrigo, and ex-guitarist Josh Farro are now listed as co-writers of the song, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in May. Fans have long noted the similarities between “Good 4 U” and Paramore’s 2007 song “Misery Business”: Multiple mashups of the two songs can be found online.
While reps for Rodrigo declined requests for comment, a source close to the situation tells Variety the credit is actually an interpolation — which is essentially an element of a previously recorded song re-recorded and incorporated into a new song — and that the two parties were in touch before “Good 4 U” was released. While their names were not listed in the song’s credits on Spotify at the time of this article’s publication, they do in the ASCAP Repertory database.
Somewhat ironically, Paramore announced in 2018 that they were retiring “Misery Business” from their live sets, at least “for a really long time,” Williams said during a concert in the group’s hometown of Nashville. “We feel like it’s time to move away from it for a little while.” She had said previously that she no longer felt a connection to the song’s lyrics, which she had written as a teenager. Now, the song is taking on a second life due to its popularity on TikTok and the Rodrigo interpolation.
Retroactively-added songwriting credits have become increasingly common in recent years, as intellectual property lawsuits involving music have become more forensic and yet less predictable, particularly when argued before a jury of ordinary people who are not music experts, as evidenced by the back-and-forth with recent lawsuits involving Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse,” Robin Thicke and Pharrell’s “Blurred Lines” and even Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.”
Just in case you haven’t heard the direct comparison/mash-up before…check it out below:
(image source: YouTube)
Comments