UPDATE: It took a while but a song theft lawsuit over “Say You Won’t Let Go” was evidently filed today (May 21, 2018) and look out,  it’s Richard Busch for the plaintiffs. I’m going to take a close look at this one right away and give you the prediction.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/1980063/x-factor-comeback-kid-james-arthur-could-be-hit-with-copying-lawsuit-over-chart-topping-hit-say-you-wont-let-go/

Evidently The Script’s publishing company is deciding whether to bring an action here that would really rain on Arthur’s parade.

Arthur’s #1 hit song, “Say You Won’t Let Go” does indeed sound a lot like The Scripts #2 hit song, “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved.”

Reports say the publishing company that owns some of the rights to “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved,” has a consultant (someone like me) working on whether or not to sue. Guess we’ll see how that goes!

I haven’t followed James Arthur’s career, but by all accounts he needs a break, so I’m pleased to say that while I can certainly see the argument, on this matter he appears to me to be safe.

There will be a thoughtful and (sorry) likely technical explanation here soon. In the meantime the web is chockablock with mashups followed by comments and tweets about how they sound both exactly or nothing alike, how there are “only 12 notes,” how “you can’t copyright a chord progression,” how Adele’s “Someone Like You,” sounds exactly and nothing like both of these, and so forth.

All of that is half true, which is perhaps what The Script’s consultant is telling them right now. But the argument that’s on the nose will keep James Arthur’s #1 hit song safe. And I’ll share it as soon as I have time to lay it out. Maybe tomorrow. Certainly by mid-week. Or, if the Script’s guys wanna call, I’ll just spell it out for them. See if it matches what they’ve been told.