14 DAY TRIAL // When Kelly Clarkson put out her latest single, the “Already Gone” ballad, many thought they saw a striking similarity between her song and Beyonce’s “Halo,” which immediately sparked rumors that the American Idol winner stole the track from Beyonce. Clarkson, on her part, laid the blame on producer and songwriter Ryan Tedder of One Republic, saying it was he who served them both with the same sample. In a recent post on his official blog, Tedder denies all allegations.
In statements recently released, Clarkson said that she could not be blamed for any similarity between the two tracks, since she wrote the lyrics to the music Tedder gave her – and that was before Beyonce even came out with “Halo.” Since the producer and songwriter also worked with Beyonce, it was easy to understand that he gave both singers the same sample to write lyrics to, Kelly Clarkson added.
However, Tedder would beg to differ, although he’s not actually denying what Clarkson said, in the sense that he makes no mention of the allegation that he gave both the same song. “‘Already Gone’ is one of the best song[s] I’ve written or produced since ‘Bleeding Love’ and stands tall on its own merits apart from ‘Halo.’ They are two entirely different songs conceptually, melodically, & lyrically and I would never try to dupe an artist such as Kelly Clarkson or Beyoncé into recording over the same musical track, the idea is both hurtful & absurd.” Tedder writes.
Those who think otherwise would better listen to the two tracks again, before jumping to the conclusion that it’s actually one and the same, the producer says. “I think when people hear ‘Already Gone’ they will hear what I hear-one of the greatest female vocalists on earth giving her most haunting and heart-breaking performance on a song she helped write. I challenge people to listen and form their own opinions.” Tedder concludes by saying.
Still, several music-oriented publications point out, the damage could already be done. As we also reported yesterday, word in the industry has it that Kelly Clarkson is in deep trouble with her music label for blowing the lid off a story she should have kept to herself. Admittedly, Clarkson and her label struck an understanding (when she learned about the similarities between the songs) that involved she never addressed the issue publicly. In violating it, Clarkson enraged boss Clive Davis and the label, which is now considering pulling the plug on her entire album, it emerged yesterday.