Miley Cyrus is facing a lawsuit for alleged copyright infringement regarding her popular 2023 single “Flowers.” The lawsuit has been initiated by Tempo Music Investments, a company that claims to have ownership rights related to Bruno Mars’s ballad “When I Was Your Man.”
“Flowers” serves as the lead single from Cyrus’s eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation, and has achieved significant success, reaching the top of charts worldwide and earning two Grammy Awards in 2024 for Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance, along with a nomination for Song of the Year.
Released in 2012, “When I Was Your Man” was also a chart-topping hit in the U.S. and received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance.
According to reports, Tempo Music Investments alleges that “Flowers” mirrors the chord progressions and some lyrics of Mars’s hit, claiming notable similarities in melody, harmony, and the chorus. Court documents reportedly state, “It is undeniable based on the combination and number of similarities between the two recordings that ‘Flowers’ would not exist without ‘When I Was Your Man.’”
The company is seeking unspecified damages and is requesting that Cyrus, age 31, be prohibited from distributing “Flowers” or performing it live. Bruno Mars, age 38, is not listed as a plaintiff in the case.
Inquiries have been made to representatives for both Cyrus and Mars for further comments.
In 2019, there were reports about Warner Music Group and Providence Equity Partners investing $650 million in recorded music and music publishing catalogs through Tempo Music Investments. Subsequently, in 2022, Mars sold part of his catalog to Warner Chappell Music, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Following the release of “Flowers,” fans observed similarities to “When I Was Your Man,” a song that Cyrus’s ex-husband, actor Liam Hemsworth, was rumored to have dedicated to her.
The lyrics of Cyrus’s song appear to echo themes from Mars’s ballad, which expresses regret over missed romantic opportunities, while “Flowers” features a more empowering message, focusing on self-love and independence. Cyrus is credited as a co-writer for “Flowers,” along with songwriter and producer Aldae and songwriter/producer Michael Pollack, while “When I Was Your Man” was penned by Mars alongside Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, and Andrew Wyatt.