Is it possible to lay musical claim to the concept of resigning oneself to the fact that haters are going to hate and players are going to play?
Songwriters seem to think so. Taylor Swift is again being sued for plagiarizing the lyrics to “Shake It Off,” her 2014 hit about haters and players. TMZ is reporting that Sean Hall and Nathan Butler, the songwriters behind 3LW’s “Playas Gon’ Play,” are seeking 20 percent of the royalties from Swift’s song.
They claim Swift’s catchy chorus, “’Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play/ And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate” are sufficiently similar to their 2001 lyrics, “Playas, they gonna play/ And haters, they gonna hate.”
The lyrics diverge from here, however, with Swift more concerned with fakers and heartbreakers, who are going to fake and break, while 3LW are resigned to the fact that ballers and shot callers will continue to ball and call, respectively.
Swift was previously sued by an artist named Jesse Braham, who contended that Swift must have been inspired by his straight-to-Youtube song, “Haters Gone Hate.” A hilarious judge did not see fit to award Braham his $42 million.
In a statement to TMZ, a representative for Swift said that “This is a ridiculous claim and nothing more than a money grab.”
Compare the pair for yourself:
