Dua Lipa’s Hit Song Is a Rip-Off, Band Claims in Lawsuit

A reggae band claims Dua Lipa‘s hit song “Levitating” is a rip-off of a song they released in 2017. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, Artikal Sound System accused Lipa of lifting from their song “Live Your Life.” Lipa is now on tour to support her smash hit 2020 album Future Nostalgia, which topped charts around the world.

Artikal Sound System accused Lipa, 26, of copyright infringement, reports TMZ. The band listed Lipa and Warner Bros. Records as defendants. They are asking for any profits from “Levitating” they may have missed out by not being credited as co-writers and damages.

The band did not specifically list why they believe Lipa’s song is similar to “Live Your Life.” However, the song does have a similar beat when compared to Lipa’s disco-inspired track and the choruses sound a bit similar. The band published “Live Your Life” on SoundCloud in March 2017, and it has 7,200 plays. All comments on the post came within the few hours after TMZ reported on the band’s lawsuit.

“Levitating” was co-written with Clarence Coffee Jr., Sarah Hudson, and Stephen Kozmeniuk. Lipa featured the original version on Future Nostalgia, then released a remix in October 2020 featuring the now-controversial rapper DaBaby. Lipa also released a remix with The Blessed Madonna, Madonna and Missy Elliott featured on her Club Future Nostalgia remix album. The music video featuring the remix with DaBaby has over 475 million viewers on YouTube.

The “Levitating” remix was at the center of controversy after DaBaby made shocking remarks about HIV, AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases at the Rolling Loud festival. Radio play of the remix with the rapper declined after his comments, and Lipa later spoke out to condemn them. “I’m surprised and horrified at DaBaby’s comments. I really don’t recognize this as the person I worked with,” Lipa wrote in an Instagram Story post last summer. “I know my fans know where my heart lies and that I stand 100% with the LGTBQ community. We need to come together to fight the stigma and ignorance around HIV/AIDS.”

Lipa has not commented on the lawsuit. She is finally on tour promoting Future Nostalgia after the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible for her to mount a full-scale tour. The North American leg ends on April 1 in Vancouver before she heads to her native U.K. on April 15 to start the European leg. The tour will continue through November. Her setlist includes “Levitating,” “Don’t Start Now,” “New Rules,” “Break My Heart,” and “Be the One.”