Plagiarism or just a coincidence? 70s and 80s disco legend Amanda Lear believes Miley Cyrus blatantly copied her work wholesale. In an Instagram post, Lear sarcastically thanked Cyrus for allegedly ripping off her song “The Sphinx” with the new song “Red Lights” on her album Bass Persuades. Take a listen for yourself:
Fans online are extremely conflicted on whether Lear has any truth to her claims. One person on X argued that staunch Miley defenders acting as if Amanda Lear is a nobody don’t know their history. “Uncultured people in the quotes saying ‘who is this khia”‘ as if she isn’t a disco legend, 60s supermodel & a muse to both Salvador Dali & Andy Warhol,” they wrote.
On the other hand, a comment replying to Lear directly said Miley Cyrus had to have known the song existed. They suggested that the song wasn’t popular enough to really have something worth stealing. Moreover, they believed that plenty of other songs at the time sounded like Lear, meaning her claim doesn’t have weight. “To be plagiarized, it needs to be known first! There must be about a thousand songs with a similar sound to the one that’s actually known,” they commented.
Amanda Lear Calls Out Miley Cyrus for Allegedly Copying Her Song ‘The Sphinx’
For those unaware of Amanda Lear, she is a former model, singer, songwriter, actress, and painter. She inspired some of the greatest artists of the 20th century, including Andy Warhol and Salvador Dalí, and was recognized as an early gay icon. Born in 1939, her exact origins are a bit unknown regarding her upbringing. But she was known for her prominence in the modeling spaces, dating David Bowie, and making dozens of albums over the decades.
As for Miley Cyrus, we don’t know if she’s aware of Amanda Lear. What we do know is that she’s officially dropping her last name for her latest era. Why she did that remains a bit unclear, but her dad Billy Ray Cyrus was on board.
“I told [Miley Cyrus] yesterday I felt good about her going with her first name. I mentioned Dolly and Cher,” her dad explained on X. “Thinkin about it more and more … Elvis .. Prince …and so on. It’s a natural progression for an iconic superstar legend. And the legend continues !”
The late Dolly Parton was also on Miley Cyrus’ mind as she entered her latest album. In a tribute post, she channeled her godmother’s advice and energy as she headed into her next era. “What I KNOW is Dolly would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong. I have an angel by my side. I always have. One of our last conversations was about music and metamorphosis,” she shared.
(Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
The post French Pop Legend Claims Miley Cyrus Blatantly Copied Her Song on New Album ‘Bass Persuades’ appeared first on VICE.
