Overview
- This week Costello told The Times that he will not sue Olivia Rodrigo over similarities between her song “Brutal” and his 1978 track “Pump It Up” and called the idea “too silly to talk about.”
- He argued it would be “arrogant” for musicians to demand credit and pointed to his own history of borrowing from earlier songs when explaining why he won’t pursue legal action.
- Rodrigo’s early hits received retroactive credits to established writers — including Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, St. Vincent, Hayley Williams and Joshua Farro — changes that were reported to shift large royalty shares away from her.
- Rodrigo has said she was “a little caught off guard” by others taking credit and that her team handled the negotiations while she was not deeply involved.
- Music industry experts and reporting note that retroactive credits and interpolation claims are common, they can reallocate sizable royalties, and they raise questions about how young artists negotiate authorship and revenue.