Robbie Williams Defends Olivia Rodrigo Amid Claims ‘Take Me Home’ Sounds Like His Hit: ‘I Couldn’t Care Less’
The British singer called the pop star "f--king brilliant" and noted, "I'm not going after her."
Robbie Williams has defended Olivia Rodrigo against claims that her Christmas song "Take Me Home (4 Christmas)" sounds like his 2012 hit "Candy." In a lengthy Instagram post, Williams called Rodrigo "f--king brilliant" and dismissed the possibility of suing her. He criticized the rush to accuse pop artists of copying earlier songs, stating that there are only so many notes and all artists stand on the shoulders of those who came before.
Williams emphasized that protecting artists' work is different from treating every vaguely familiar sequence of notes as a winning lottery ticket. He noted that many similarities between songs arise by coincidence due to shared chord progressions or unprotected genre tropes. Williams' post received widespread support, including from Stella Lefty, who faced similar allegations for her hit "Boston."
Overall, Williams aimed to send the message that music has a long history, and accidental similarities are inevitable, warning that excessive punishment for such coincidences could stifle creativity.
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