As we discussed recently, Lizzo was accused of copyright infringement and plagiarism for her hit song “Truth Hurts.” Justin and Jeremiah Raisen claim that they cowrote a song called “Healthy” with Lizzo in 2017, and that “Healthy” eventually morphed into “Truth Hurts.” They said that Lizzo used “melody, lyrics and chords” from “Healthy” for “Truth Hurts,” and they wanted songwriting credit and 5% of the songs profits. They also said that Lizzo jacked the “I just took a DNA test turns out I’m 100% that bitch” line from a tweet from Mina Lioness. Oh which there is evidence. I thought the video the Raisens posted was pretty good evidence of the way the original song morphed into “Truth Hurts” as well. But according to Lizzo, not so much. Lizzo has responded with a statement posted on social media, saying in part:
“The men who now claim a piece of ‘Truth Hurts’ did not help me write any part of the song. They had nothing to do with the line or how I chose to sing it. There was no one in the room when I wrote ‘Truth Hurts’, except me, Ricky Reed and my tears. That song is my life, and its words are my truth. I later learned that a tweet inspired the meme. The creator of the tweet is the person I am sharing my success with…not these men. Period.”
The fact that she’s now crediting Mina Lioness with the “100% that bitch” line is a good start, especially considering that Lizzo originally tried to claim that she thought it up all on her own. But “these men” didn’t claim to help Lizzo write that ONE line. They claim to have helped her write “Healthy,” which eventually became “Truth Hurts.” I don’t know. In any case, Lizzo is now suing the Raisens and she wants a court to decide whether she wrote the song by herself.
— #STREAMTRUTHHURTS (@lizzo) October 23, 2019
Photos courtesy of Backgrid and Avalon Red.
Bummer
I hope she wins her case. She doesn’t strike me as someone who needs to steal in order to be successful. Glad she’s breaking off a piece for “that bitch” meme maker!
I thought the side by side comparison of songs was bad at first but I re-listened yesterday and the melody sounds completely different and it’s really just the same words (which both parties agree came from someone else’s tweet). Also, I think her lawsuit says those guys signed away any rights or claims to that song months ago?
The video that the Raisens posted does not prove that they helped write it. It proves that they have a video of her listening to the song Healthy with them and hanging out in what looks like a home recording studio. They may or may or may not have created the beats, but the video doesn’t prove that.
I suspected that she doesn’t think they helped with anything besides use of their studio. A judge and entertainment and copywriter lawyers will have to litigate to tell who is telling the truth.
I don’t work in the music business. The ex did and now our kid is in music school to sing and write. She is in a lot of recording studios with others making original music. I am a lowly civil servant.
She’s so full of it. Didn’t she originally say that she didn’t see the tweet or the meme and that they just had the same idea at the same time?
AND she apparently only credited Mina Lioness after “the men” claimed to write it. Way to ignore the woman. Super shady.
She’s proves over and over again to be quick to tweet attack people and lie about circumstances revolving around those tweeted incidents. She needs to go away. Take her sm accounts away from her before she kills her career.
Also, I love your screen name!
I read that she said she’d seen a meme and used it. She had to have been following Mina Lioness’ account to see it. Maybe the Raisens follow Mina Lioness and showed it to her. We just don’t know, but the discovery phase of a trial and some subpoenas to Instagram, or wherever these meme’s were, will solve that.
I think that she should have paid them something when they asked regardless of how much they did or did not write. In the beginning of many music careers, this happens. It happens all the time, but we don’t hear about it because the people who advise the new star give good advice: pay them so that a seed isn’t planted in your potential fan base that could kill your career. She worked with Prince and the New Power Generation. Working with Prince will teach you to fight as a singer songwriter. I can’t be as hard on her as you guys. She is standing up for her principals like anybody would want to, but I still think it’s such a complicated situation that she should have paid them to get rid of the issue. She probably owes a lot of money to her label and remembers what Prince likely told her: FIGHT if ANYBODY tried to take credit for your work.
When Mina Lioness reached out, she should have acknowledged the lyric then and there, but I’m sure that she doesn’t remember who wrote the meme she saw. I sure NEVER remember where I saw memes, much less the authors.
I’m glad the original writer of the line is going to get some credit and financial reward for it.
The first post about this, I think the guys had a good case. But we’ll see how it goes.