14 DAY TRIAL // Britney Spears is now number one on iTunes with her latest single “Hold It Against Me,” her first release off a yet-untitled studio album. Country duo The Bellamy Brothers is saying the song is a rip-off of one of their ballads.
Despite leaking online just hours ahead of the official release, “Hold It Against Me” is faring incredibly well, not to mention how warmly it was received by Spears’ fanbase.
Two people in this world, though, are not happy with it, though they’re not thinking of pursuing legal action just yet. They’re The Bellamy Brothers, a famous country duo.
As TMZ has learned, they believe Britney’s “Hold It Against Me” is a shameless rip-off of their love ballad “If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body, Would You Hold It Against Me.”
“It sure sounded familiar when Britney Spears released it, but The Bellamy Brothers now claim Britney blatantly ripped off their song, ‘If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body, Would You Hold It Against Me’,” TMZ notes.
“Howard and I have no personal beef with Britney,” David Bellamy says for the e-zine. “She’s a talented gal. But professionally, well, in all honesty, we feel completely ripped off. Where’s the originality?” he adds.
As of now, camp Spears hasn’t said anything about a possible allegation of plagiarism. The brothers insist they’re not going to sue, but they also make it a point that they’re upset about the whole thing.
In happier Spears news, reports online suggest that Britney may be performing her brand new single at this year’s Grammy Awards on February 13.
“Spears, who hasn’t sung at an awards show since her disastrous ‘Gimme More’ gig at the VMAs in 2007, has reportedly ‘been rehearsing for weeks’,” TooFab writes.
A rep for Britney will only say that, so far, she hasn’t been booked for anything related to the Grammys, which means odds remain high she will be.
In the meantime, check out the two songs below to compare, or go to TMZ to listen only samples from them.
Britney Spears – “Hold It Against Me”
The Bellamy Brothers – “If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body, Would You Hold It Against Me”