Jamaican artist Flourgon sues Miley Cyrus over song "We Can't Stop"
NEW YORK — Jamaican artist Flourgon has sued Miley Cyrus and Sony Music for the singer's 2013 song, "We Can't Stop," claiming that the pop star lifted from his 1988 song, "We Run Things."
The musician filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in New York City, claiming that Cyrus' megahit borrows a line from Flourgon's song.
On her song, Cyrus sings: "We run things, things don't run we." Flourgon's song includes virtually the same line, "We run things, things no run we."
Flourgon's real name is Michael May. The lawsuit, which seeks $300 million in damages, also names RCA Records, which is a Sony label, and Mike WiLL Made-It, who produced and co-wrote "We Can't Stop."
TheWrap reports that the suit also argues that Cyrus' song is "largely rooted in Caribbean musical influence" and includes "a theme of defiant audaciousness in the realm of self-discovery and self-governance. The entire theme of 'We Can't Stop' would be hollow in sound and impact, and would fail to achieve … success without the unique thrust of authenticity and the substantially similar theme of/provided by Plaintiff May's original, protected content."
Cyrus' song became an international multiplatinum hit, giving her an official pop star breakthrough. The song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
A representative for the defendants didn't immediately return an email seeking comment.