The ‘Confident’ singer Demi Lovato is facing a lawsuit filed by indie band Sleigh Bells for copyright infringement. The noise-pop duo claims that Lovato’s 2015 hit ‘Stars‘ sounds very similar to their 2010 track titled ‘Infinity Guitars.’
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the band filed the suit on Monday at a Californian Federal Court. Sleigh Bells’ Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller detailed “signal decay and other sonic signatures” that revealed “virtually identical content.” The group feels the similitudes transcend the coincidences.
Both songs feature a backbone beat of synth drums and hand claps with similar feelings and almost equal speed. Sleigh Bells versions go at 158 bps (bits per minute), while ‘Stars’ runs at 156 bps. The tempo is a three-quarter beat for the two, with a bass guitar providing a counter-rhythm to the clapping.
The lawsuit assures the content infringement goes deeper into Bells’ debut album. Sleigh Bells wants both a “substantial profit” as well as “a permanent injunction prohibiting the reproduction, sale, public performance or other use or exploitation of Infinity Guitars.”
Carl Falk and Rami Yacoub defended Demi Lovato
The document also brought up the names of UMG producers Carl Falk and Rami Yacoub. Last year, Falk and Yacoub told Rolling Stone they didn’t use any samples in the single and that Lovato was not involved with the production. But it wouldn’t matter if there were samples or not in the track, as the suit pinpoints characteristics lifted from Bell’s original material.
Early November 2015 Lovato’s Confident album debuted at No.2 on the Billboard 200. A few weeks later, the indie band addressed the pop singer about the similarities. On a Tweet, they questioned if ‘Stars’ used samples of two of their tracks, ‘Infinity Guitars’ and ‘Riot Rhythm.’
More importantly, Krauss and Miller stressed they were not contacted to pull beats straight out their discography.
Sleigh Bells is one of the most successful indie bands in recent times
‘Stars’ is a bonus track on the deluxe edition of the ‘Confident LP,’ while ‘Infinity Guitars’ featured on Sleight Bell’s critically acclaimed debut album, ‘Treats.’
The debut was critically praised and reached No.39 on the Billboard 200. ‘Infinity Guitars’ was the second single from the album and made the 21st best song of 2010 on Rolling Stone’s list.
Sleigh Bells currently has three records in their catalog: 2010’s ‘Debut’ was followed up by 2012’s ‘Reign of Terror’ and, in October 2013, the band released ‘Bitter Rivals,’ the third studio album.
Source: Hollywood Reporter