Lizzo facing further criticism for ‘Truth Hurts’ TM bid
US singer Lizzo has been accused of plagiarising a lyric from her hit song “Truth Hurts”, in which she sings “I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m 100% that bitch”.
In June, the singer’s company applied to register “100% That Bitch” as a trademark covering merchandise and music.
News of the trademark application provoked a strong reaction from UK musician Mina Lioness, who says that she came up with the lyric.
Responding to the news, Mina Lioness said last Saturday, August 28 that “what I cannot get over is how brazen Lizzo and her team have been in ignoring my whole presence”.
“They’re doing it because they know I have no capital to address her,” she added.
Mina Lioness posted a tweet in February 2017 featuring the phrase, which subsequently went viral.
Lizzo released “Truth Hurts”, which contains the lyric, in September that year. The song enjoyed a surge in popularity this year, reaching third position in the US charts.
Mina Lioness addressed Lizzo’s use of the line in 2018, writing: “Now everyone believes those were your words, when in fact they were mine. My creativity, my wit and my comedy.”
She has now spoken out again following Lizzo’s application to register the phrase as a trademark.
She has said that on Twitter that she cannot afford to take the issue to court, but has called on Lizzo to “do the right thing” and credit her as a co-writer of the song.
In another tweet the UK musician said she had not intended to become a “freedom fighter for IP rights”.
Lizzo has said publicly that the lyrics were inspired by a meme she had seen on social media.
She has yet to respond to the latest controversy.
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