Here’s some rather unfortunate breaking news: a singer-songwriter is suing Daft Punk and The Weeknd for allegedly stealing “Starboy.”
According to TMZ, singer-songwriter Yasminah has sued Daft Punk and The Weeknd for $5 million. The lawsuit claims the artists stole from her song “Hooyo,” which she co-wrote and sang and released in 2009. Yasminah claims “Starboy” rips off the melody, hook, tempo and clap structure from “Hooyo.” Listen to “Hooyo” below to compare:
Yeah…there’s very little room for argument there. Yasminah worked with two producers on “Hooyo,” who previously threatened lawsuits for “Starboy” that settled out of court. But, Yasminah says she didn’t receive a cut of those settlements.
If this lawsuit gains steam, the results could be similar to the 2015 court case pitting Marvin Gaye’s family against Robin Thicke and Pharrell for “Blurred Lines.” The family won the verdict saying “Blurred Lines” stole from Gaye’s song “Got to Give It Up,” setting a huge precedent for music copyright law in the US. Rest assured all eyes will watch this developing court case.