Elvis Costello Discusses Why He Won’t Sue Olivia Rodrigo for ‘Brutal’ Inspiration from ‘Pump It Up’

Elvis Costello, the renowned singer-songwriter, recently shed light on his decision not to pursue legal action against Olivia Rodrigo, who is said to have drawn inspiration from his classic song “Pump It Up”for her track “Brutal.”

Rodrigo’s debut album, “Sour,”released in 2021, includes “Brutal”as its opening number, which many believe echoes the chord progression of Costello’s 1978 hit. However, Costello has publicly stated that he has no problem with Rodrigo taking cues from his music.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair in October 2024, Costello defended Rodrigo against the allegations of plagiarism. He pointed out that artists frequently “draw allusions to [the song] in their own variations,”just as Rodrigo’s producer has clearly done. He elaborated:

“I did not see any justification for pursuing them legally, as that would be absurd. It’s a shared musical dialect. Others have had different views about other tracks on that album.”

This isn’t the first instance of Costello standing up for Olivia Rodrigo amidst claims of copying. Following the release of “Sour”in 2021, he came to her defense on social media after a user suggested that “Brutal”was a “near direct imitation”of his work. Costello responded:

“That’s perfectly okay with me, Billy. That’s the essence of rock and roll. You reconstruct the fragments of another thrill into a novel creation. That’s exactly what I did.”

Despite Costello’s leniency, Olivia Rodrigo has encountered her share of alleged copyright issues during her career. Following observations from fans, she retroactively acknowledged the contributions of artists like Taylor Swift, Hayley Williams, and Josh Farro on some of her tracks.

Olivia Rodrigo Acknowledges Taylor Swift and Paramore Amidst Copyright Matters

Several of Olivia Rodrigo’s songs have drawn comparisons to those of celebrated artists such as Taylor Swift and Paramore. Rodrigo herself acknowledged that her track “Deja Vu”from 2021 was inspired by Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer,”released in 2019. In an April 2021 conversation with Rolling Stone, she remarked:

“We aimed to create a bridge that was really dynamic since the rest of the song is so tranquil and eerily peaceful,… But I wanted the final bridge to explode with energy, and I’m a huge fan of ‘Cruel Summer.’ It’s genuinely one of my favorite tracks. I adore those passionate vocals, like the harmonized shouts in it, which I think are electrifying and deeply moving; I wanted to emulate that.”

Just two months later, in July 2021, Rodrigo retroactively credited Taylor Swift along with her collaborators Jack Antonoff and St. Vincent for their writing contributions to “Deja Vu.”

Moreover, Olivia Rodrigo reportedly sourced elements from Swift’s 2017 track “New Year’s Day”while crafting her song “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back.”As noted by Billboard in May 2021, Jack Antonoff, who collaborated with Swift, was added to the songwriting credits for Rodrigo’s track.

In a June 2021 interview with Zach Sang, Rodrigo confirmed her interpolation of Swift’s song, indicating that she sought permission from Swift’s team prior to its release.

For those unfamiliar, an interpolated song incorporates portions of a song’s composition to create something new, differing from sampling, which involves using segments from a track unchanged.

In addition to drawing from Swift’s music, Olivia Rodrigo’s 2021 hit “Good 4 U”was also said to be influenced by Paramore’s 2007 song “Misery Business.”In August 2021, Rodrigo retroactively credited Paramore’s Hayley Williams and Joshua Farro for their input in writing.

According to a report by Billboard in September 2021, Williams and Farro were set to earn 50% of the combined royalties from “Good 4 U,”with the remaining half split between Rodrigo and her collaborator, Daniel Nigro. It’s estimated that the Paramore duo would receive about $1.2 million in royalties from this release.

The same report suggested that compensation for “Deja Vu”would also involve a 50/50 split of royalties between Rodrigo and her collaborators, with Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, and St. Vincent sharing part of the earnings.

Olivia Rodrigo addressed her alleged copyright struggles in a December 2021 interview with TIME, stating:

“It’s truly disheartening to see individuals undermine and invalidate my creativity.”

Rodrigo’s collaborator, Dan Nigro, weighed in on the situation, noting that “people react oddly when songs gain popularity.”

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