With a new One Direction album on the horizon, allegations that the boy band are ripping off someone else’s songs couldn’t be far behind. And here we are again.
Less than 24 hours after 1D’s new song “Steal My Girl” dropped, claims that it copies an existing song surfaced from an unexpected source — New Found Glory‘s Chad Gilbert. [h/t AltPress]
Props to the @onedirection “steal my girl” single for reworking the “it’s not your fault” piano part into a top 40 single. Let me get a cut
— Chad Gilbert (@XChadballX) September 29, 2014
Paramore‘s Hayley Williams quickly agreed with the assessment:
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Beginning of that new 1D song couldn’t sound any more like the beginning of @newfoundglory‘s “its not your fault” but pic.twitter.com/UFlFjImxrK
— hayley from Paramore (@yelyahwilliams) September 29, 2014
As a helpful point of comparison, here’s a video combining the track from NFG’s 2006 album Coming Home with the latest 1D song.
While the piano part in New Found Glory’s track is slower, the similarity is undeniable. And lest you think, “Why would One Direction be familiar with a song from a New Found Glory album most people ignored?”, remember that these guys work with professional songwriters.
Williams pointed out as much in a follow-up tweet, saying the fault “has more to do w/ whoever pitched or cowrote the song” than the boy band.
After the stealing allegations started making waves on Twitter, Gilbert clarified he’s not actually pissed at the boys: “My original tweet was a joke anyway. Music influences music. No one cares.”
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Regardless, this is far from the first time 1D have been accused of releasing music awkwardly similar to existing hits.
Harry Styles admitted the similarities between their 2012 hit “Live While We’re Young” and the Clash’s “Should I Stay Or Should I Go?” were “kind of on purpose.” And many critics pointed out that 2013’s “Best Song Ever” has a riff eerily close to the Who’s “Baba O’Riley.”
In fact, “Steal My Girl” might have its roots in yet another classic rock tune. The Internet has pointed out that 1D’s new song and the NFG track may both be ripped off from Journey’s 1983 hit “Faithfully.” Listen below and see what you think.