Sam Smith and Normani triumphed in a controversial lawsuit that accused them of copying a song of the same name in 2015.
Songwriters Jordan Vincent, Christopher Miranda and Rosco Banlaoi accused the two popstars of copying the song described as "strikingly similar."
Sam Smith, Normani 'Dancing With A Stranger' Lawsuit Explained
In 2022, Jordan Vincent, Christopher Miranda and Rosco Banlaoi accused Sam Smith and Normani in a copyright lawsuit, saying that their song "Dancing With A Stranger" was copied from a 2015 song titled "Dancing With A Stranger" too.
"The hook/chorus in both songs-the most significant part and artistic aspect of these works-contains the lyrics 'dancing with a stranger' being sung over a nearly identical melody and musical composition," the three songwriters said at the time. "In both songs, the title, hook, chorus, lyrics, and musical composition are all the same-and are repeated throughout the song giving both songs their identities."
According to California Judge Wesley Hsu, the "melodic phrases" that the songwriters alleged to be lifted off that contain the lyrics of "dancing with a stranger" "are not substantially similar." (via Billboard)
Per Hsu's ruling, the plaintiffs claimed that the "lyrics, pitch sequence, melodic contour, metric placement of the syllables, rhythm, feel, and structure" are not protectable under the law.
Meanwhile, Smith and Normani's song was deemed as "not unlawfully appropriate." In July 2023, the singers' attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit - saying that the lawsuit's core accusations including the "shape of the melody" were just "common musical tropes or abstract ideas" that are not protectable under copyright law.
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Sam Smith, Normani 'Dancing With A Stranger'
Released in 2019, "Dancing With A Stranger" reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 3 on the UK Singles chart.
It has since been certified 4x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and Double Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry.
It also won a lot of various awards, including the Titanium Award at the IHeartRadio Music Awards, Award Winning Song at the ASCAP Award and BMI Awards, Song of the Year, Pop Award Songs, and Million Awards: 4 Million, at the BMI London Awards.
"Dancing With A Stranger" was also nominated PRS for Music Most Performed Work at the 2020 Ivor Novello Awards.
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