News | Entertainment
30 Mar 2024 1:03
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Taylor Swift insists she wrote all the lyrics for 'Shake it Off'

    She made the declaration as she as addressed a 2017 copyright lawsuit that claimed she stole the words of her 2014 hit


    Writing in a federal court document filed on Monday (08.08.22) she denied copyright infringement and claimed she had "never heard" the song she is accused of plagiarising - 2001's 'Playas Gon' Play' by the US pop trio 3LW.

    Extracts of the motion obtained by Billboard said Taylor, 32, unequivocally rejected the accusation, writing "the lyrics to 'Shake It Off' were written entirely by me".

    She also provided context around how the words came to be included in the song.

    Taylor insisted it was impossible she plagiarised the 3LW track as she "had never heard the song 'Playas Gon' Play' and had never heard of that song or the group 3LW".

    She added: "The first time I ever heard the song was after this claim was made."

    Taylor added: "In writing the lyrics, I drew partly on experiences in my life and, in particular, unrelenting public scrutiny of my personal life, 'clickbait' reporting, public manipulation, and other forms of negative personal criticism which I learned I just needed to shake off and focus on my music."

    She argued the phrases "players gonna play" and "haters gonna hate" were widespread and used throughout her childhood - "akin to... sayings like 'don't hate the playa, hate the game,'" and "'take a chill pill'".

    Taylor went on: "I recall hearing phrases about players play and haters hate stated together by other children while attending school in Wyomissing Hills, and in high school in Hendersonvilled."

    She highlighted how there have been numerous uses of the phrase in "many songs, films, and other works," and referenced a 2013 performance in which she wore a T-shirt with the term "haters gonna hate."

    The lawsuit, filed by 'Playas Gon' Play' songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler, was dropped in 2018, but was later resurrected by an appeals panel the following year.

    In December 2021 a judge ruled the case should be decided by a jury, although an official court trial date has not yet been set.

    Taylor's lawyers are backing her claims by arguing no single entity can monopolise a term widely used in popular culture.

    Her attorney Peter Anderson said: "It is, unfortunately, not unusual for a hit song to be met by litigants hoping for a windfall based on tenuous claims that their own song was copied... but even against that background,

    (the) Plaintiffs' claim sticks out as particularly baseless."

    'Shake It Off' was the lead single from Swift's fifth studio album, '1989'. 3LW, meanwhile, released 'Playas Gon' Play' in 2001 as part of the girl band's eponymous debut album.

    It comes as Taylor has also defended her use of a jet after she last month topped a celebrity league table of the biggest private plane polluters.

    © 2024 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     29 Mar: Heidi Klum would've "loved" a role in 'Griselda'
     29 Mar: Tom Schwartz "made out" with Scheana Shay 12 years ago
     29 Mar: Mel B vowed she would never marry again following her split from Stephen Belafonte
     29 Mar: Eva Mendes has branded her mum "incredible" for retaining her sense of humour during her battle with cancer
     29 Mar: Katie Maloney doesn't "hang out" with her 'Vanderpump Rules' co-stars
     29 Mar: Jessica Chastain found it "difficult" to film 'Mothers' Instinct' with her showbiz pal Anne Hathaway
     29 Mar: Queen Camilla hosted authors and actors at a star-studded event in London to celebrate reading
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    The Chiefs are backing young first-five Josh Jacomb to step up in tonight's Super Rugby clash against the Crusaders in Christchurch More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    New Zealand Food Safety is supporting Matakana Smokehouse in its recall of a specific batch of two of its salmon products because of the possible presence of Listeria More...



     Today's News

    Rugby League:
    NRL Good Friday: Bulldogs take on desperate Rabbitohs, Broncos renew rivalry with Cowboys 23:07

    Law and Order:
    Gisborne Police have charged three people with graffiti vandalism and have identified a fourth suspect after the city's rainbow crossing was defaced with white paint earlier this week 21:57

    Entertainment:
    Heidi Klum would've "loved" a role in 'Griselda' 21:53

    Law and Order:
    Police have left the scene of a party that erupted into a disturbance on Auckland's Princes Wharf 21:37

    Entertainment:
    Tom Schwartz "made out" with Scheana Shay 12 years ago 21:23

    Entertainment:
    Mel B vowed she would never marry again following her split from Stephen Belafonte 20:53

    Entertainment:
    Eva Mendes has branded her mum "incredible" for retaining her sense of humour during her battle with cancer 20:23

    Entertainment:
    Katie Maloney doesn't "hang out" with her 'Vanderpump Rules' co-stars 19:53

    Entertainment:
    Jessica Chastain found it "difficult" to film 'Mothers' Instinct' with her showbiz pal Anne Hathaway 19:23

    Rugby:
    The Chiefs are backing young first-five Josh Jacomb to step up in tonight's Super Rugby clash against the Crusaders in Christchurch 18:57


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2024 New Zealand City Ltd