Ariana Grande has slammed a little-known songwriter for alleging she ripped off his song for her 7 Rings hit.
Josh Stone sued the pop superstar, accusing her of sampling his 2017 song You Need It, I Got It and now Grande is firing back with legal action of her own.
According to court documents obtained by The Blast, Grande is asking a New York judge to dismiss the case, insisting: "The melodies of these two songs are not alleged to be the same, much less substantially similar, nor are any of the musical notes or instrumentation at issue."
Grande also asserted the original plaintiff cannot copyright the shared lyrics "I got it" or "I want it".
Grande's lawyer writes: "Both songs are entirely different musically, lyrically and thematically. Plaintiff’s Work is a fully rapped boast about the rapper’s ability to supply endless drugs while threatening violence through misogynistic lyrics."
The attorney continued: "(My client's song) features melodic verses sung to the instantly-recognizable melody of (the duly-licensed) My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music, and highlights female empowerment via the singer’s ability to purchase what she desires, including all of her 'favorite things', for herself and her friends."
Stone accused the defendants of copyright infringement, suggesting 7 Rings ripped off his tune and adding that his hook was similar to Grande's, arguing the two songs had identical "metrical placement" of the phrases.
He also claimed Grande worked with a songwriter named Tommy Brown, who had heard Stone's song and told him he liked the track.
Josh previously filed suit for all profits from Grande's song and an injunction prohibiting her from continuing to sell the music.
