Katy Perry Accused of Ripping Off Sara Bareilles’ ‘Brave’ With ‘ROAR’
Katy Perry's 'ROAR' leaked yesterday and almost immediately the California gurl was bombarded with allegations of plagiarizing Sara Barielles' 'Brave.' Is there any weight to the accusations?
Truthfully, there may be, though it's unclear who would actually be at fault here -- Perry or her heavy duty production team. Bareilles' track, co-written with Fun. guitarist Jack Antonoff, was released on April 23. Perry's 'Roar' leaked yesterday (Aug. 9) and is rumored to have been written and produced by hit manufacturers Dr. Luke and Max Martin with lyrics by Perry and longtime songwriting partner Bonnie McKee.
Perry was previously accused of stealing Kesha's 'Tik Tok' for her own hit 'California Gurls,' though it was likely just some recycling of beats by Dr. Luke, who worked on both tracks.
The songs aren't just similar in sound, but also in theme ... however, any empowering song can make that claim, so we're not giving that part too much heft in any arguments.
Still, the tempo, pianos and vocal arrangements -- even the timing of the hooks, bridges and verses -- are almost identical, save for Perry's "Ro-o-o-o-o-o-ar" refrain.
What's more, Perry can't really pretend she's never heard 'Brave' -- which was all over radio anyway -- because she actually tweeted about the song and video back in May, gushing about her love for Bareilles:
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, though, then perhaps Perry just thought she was showing her love in the best way she could with 'ROAR.' For what it's worth, Bareilles had an unbelievably amiable and classy response to the plagiarism accusations Perry faced:
Want to decide for yourself? Listen to the tracks side-by-side below.
Listen to Sara Bareilles 'Brave' + Katy Perry 'ROAR' Side-By-Side Comparison