‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ May Be Pushed Back Due to “Shake It Off” Copyright Lawsuit
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Former The Voice mega mentor Taylor Swift is battling in court over a copyright lawsuit for her song “Shake It Off.” Since the song became a hit, 3LW writers Sean Hall and Nathan Butler claim the popstar stole lyrics from their 2000 song “Playas Gon’ Play.”
Taylor Swift is Accused of Stealing Lyrics for “Shake It Off”
Taylor Swift and her legal team are currently in the midst of a copyright lawsuit. Sean Hall and Nathan Butler, writers of “Playas Gon’ Play” by 3LW, are accusing Swift of stealing their lyrics. They specifically began the copyright lawsuit due to the similarities between the lines “playas gonna play” and “haters gonna hate” in Swift’s song “Shake It Off.”
On August 8, Swift’s legal team replied to the claims, insisting that she wrote her song without hearing 3LW’s song. Instead, Swift wrote the song based on her personal life experiences. The song tells the tale of shaking off clickbait and bad press to focus on music.
“The lyrics to Shake It Off were written entirely by me,” Swift wrote in a declaration, according to The Guardian. “Until learning about Plaintiffs’ claim in 2017, I had never heard the song ‘Playas Gon’ Play’ and had never heard of that song or the group 3LW.”
Her statement continued by noting that she was 11 years old when “Playas Gon’ Play” was released. Allegedly she was not allowed to watch MTV’s Total Request Live at the time due to her age. Swift’s mother Andrea Swift also provided a statement, confirming that she watched the singer’s media intake as a child.
So Maybe 1989 (Taylor’s Version) Isn’t Coming As Soon As Fans May Think…
As many know, Swifties believe that 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is set to release sometime this year. Even though Swift has teased the re-release of the popular album with the singles “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version) and “This Love,” it seems like the album might be on the backburner at the moment.
Since Swift’s re-release of 1989 is highly anticipated, it’s inevitable for the singer to release the track without chart success. Due to the situation, it’s possible Swift’s legal team will want to clear the song, before it’s upcoming re-release.
In the meantime, Swift’s attorney has filed a motion in federal court, that accuses Hall and Butler of trying to cash in on Swift’s successful song. The motion states that their claim is baseless considering the situation. Information about the next steps of this copyright claim are currently unknown by the public.
Though Hall and Butler filed the copyright lawsuit in 2017, it was originally dismissed in 2018. In 2021, the lawsuit was resurrected by an appeal panel. Swift requested to dismiss the case last December, but a judge refused, stating that there were “enough objective similarities.”
Regardless of the situation, there has not been an official release date for 1989 (Taylor’s Version) at this time. The re-release of this album is purely fan speculation based on the tracks Swift re-released in 2021 and 2022.
