Composer Joo Young Hoon requests clarification from the composer of Meghan Trainor's 'All About That Bass' regarding possible plagiarism
A video comparingMeghan Trainor's "All About that Bass" (2014) andKoyote's "Happy Mode" (2006) has been making rounds around the web, as Korean and international netizens alike debate whether this is a case of plagiarism. Trainor's song, which is currently sitting at #2 on theBillboard Hot 100charts, has been pointed out to have very similar parts to Koyote's song.
In the clip, provided above, the 27-second pre-chorus of "All About that Bass" is followed by the first verse of Koyote's "Happy Mode". As netizens have pointed out, the two songs have a similar melody, rhythm and tempo.
Below is a comparison in which Trainor's and Koyote's songs are juxtaposed and played at the same time:
It's said the speculations were first brought to composer of "Happy Mode" Joo Young Hoon's attention by Koreans living abroad who recognized the tune.
Joo Young Hoon at first expressed incredulity that a song charting on the Billboard could be plagiarized based on his song. However he later revealed that this issue seems to be bigger than he originally thought as he started being contacted by overseas lawyers about the matter.
On the 27th, the composer's reps revealed that they have sent a request for clarification from the composer of Meghan Trainor's song:"We heard that Meghan Trainor only participated in the writing of the lyrics for 'All About That Bass', and the composition was actually handled by a foreign composer... We have requested for an explanation from the composer... Once we receive a response, we will assess the situation to respond. We are currently consulting with a specialized lawyer. However, as this is a song that is very popular in the States right now, we are approaching this issue cautiously."
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Another side to the ongoing debate among netizens is that both songs are similar to a song from even earlier in time,Phish's song "Contact", which was released way back in 1989.
Here is a comparison of the three songs, with "Contact" first, "All About that Bass" second, and "Happy Mode" third.
Here are Koyote's and Trainor's full songs respectively.
What do you guys think? Are the similarities enough for a case of plagiarism to be made? Judge for yourself, and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.