Robbie Williams has dismissed claims that Olivia Rodrigo copied his 2012 song Candy, saying he has no intention of pursuing legal action against the US pop star.
Williams, 52, was responding to speculation that Rodrigo, 23, had borrowed from the melody of her new festive track, Take Me Home (4 Christmas). He said songs could naturally develop similar sounds after decades of music-making.
“Music has been around for a long time. We’re all going to bump into each other eventually,” Williams said in a statement shared on Instagram.
The former Take That singer said he was a fan of Rodrigo and had become frustrated by musicians pursuing one another over songs that merely sounded alike.
“Some of it I completely understand. Some of it is absolutely justified,” he said. “Most of it, I think, is complete bullocks.”
Williams said he had himself faced claims that his work resembled previously released songs. He was sued by US publisher Ludlow Music Inc over his 1998 track Jesus In A Camper Van, from the album I’ve Been Expecting You.
A London High Court judge ruled in October 2000 that the song had copied substantial lyrics and the central idea from Woody Guthrie’s 1961 song I Am the Way, which had been adapted by Loudon Wainwright III in 1973.
Robbie Williams rejects Olivia Rodrigo copyright claims
Discussing the similarities noticed by fans between Rodrigo’s Christmas song and Candy, Williams said: “It sounds to me as though she may have accidentally stumbled across a musical echo of mine in one of her new songs.”
“And do you know what? I couldn’t care less,” he added. “I don’t know whether there’s technically a publishing issue, or a copyright issue, or no issue whatsoever. And I don’t want to know. I’m not going after her.”
Williams said artists should protect their work when a song had genuinely been stolen, but argued that not every resemblance justified a legal claim.
“There’s a difference between protecting your work and treating every vaguely familiar sequence of notes as a winning lottery ticket,” he said. “Some of this stuff has become ambulance chasing. And I think it’s disgusting.”
He ended by praising Rodrigo while joking about her use of profanity on stage.
“Olivia, if you’re reading this, I think you’re f***ing brilliant,” Williams said. “But please stop swearing so much. It makes me feel like I have to keep up. And frankly, I’m already swearing far more than is necessary.”
“Lots of love and Happy Christmas. Rob x.”
