Someone was trying to stop Miley Cyrus‘ hit song “We Can’t Stop.” In 2018, reggae artist Michael May, who goes by the stage name Flourgon, filed a hefty lawsuit against Cyrus, claiming the pop singer lifted material from his 1988 hit “We Run Things,” which had soared to No. 1 in Jamacia. But it looks as though the two parties have solved their issues, as Cyrus has settled the case.
Seeking $300 million in payout if he won the case, May named Cyrus, her producers, and her labels RCA and Sony as co-defendants. The main issue was one of Cyrus’ lyrics. May claimed the pop singer appropriated his 1988 chorus “We run things, things no run we,” as “We run things, things don’t run we,” which appears in “We Can’t Stop.” If the case had gone to court, May would have needed to prove not only that his lyric deserved a copyright, but that it was so popular that Cyrus’ producers would have been familiar with the track.
According to Reuters, Cyrus’ lawyers announced the case was settled on December 12 in a letter. The letter states the lawsuit would close “pending payment of the settlement proceeds.” Clearly, the payment has been received as the lawsuit is officially closed. While Cyrus’ lawyers didn’t disclose how much the case settled for, it was likely well under $300 million.
Cyrus isn’t the only pop musician facing copyright lawsuits. Earlier this year, Lizzo sued a group that accused her of plagiarizing her break-out hit “Truth Hurts.” Later, Pharrell and Robin Thicke’s highly-publicized “Blurred Lines” lawsuit was re-opened by Marvin Gaye’s estate.
Some of the artists mentioned are Warner Music artists. .
