Miley Cyrus is facing a lawsuit alleging copyright infringement related to her popular 2023 single “Flowers.” The claim comes from Tempo Music Investments, which asserts it holds a portion of the copyright for Bruno Mars’s “When I Was Your Man.”
“Flowers,” the lead track from Cyrus’s eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation, has become a major hit, topping charts globally and winning 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 number one hit in the United States and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance.
According to reports, Tempo Music Investments contends that Cyrus’s song replicates chord progressions and contains similarities to the lyrics from Mars’s ballad. They also allege significant resemblances in melody, harmony, and chorus. The court documents purportedly 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 the 31-year-old singer be prevented from distributing “Flowers” or performing it live.
Bruno Mars, 38, is not named as a plaintiff in this legal action. Representatives for both Cyrus and Mars have been contacted for comments regarding the lawsuit.
In 2019, it was reported that Warner Music Group and Providence Equity Partners planned to invest $650 million in music catalogues through Tempo Music Investments. Three years later, Bruno Mars was noted to have sold part of his catalogue to Warner Chappell Music, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Fans of Cyrus pointed out potential similarities between “Flowers” and “When I Was Your Man,” a song that her ex-husband, actor Liam Hemsworth, was rumored to have dedicated to her. In “Flowers,” Cyrus appears to reinterpret Mars’s lyrics, transforming phrases about regret into an empowering anthem for self-love.
The chorus of “Flowers” includes lines about buying her own flowers and loving herself, contrasting with the themes of longing found in Mars’s original ballad. Cyrus is credited as a co-writer on “Flowers” alongside songwriter and producer Aldae and songwriter/producer Michael Pollack, while “When I Was Your Man” was created by Mars with Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, and Andrew Wyatt.