Does Taylor Swift and Brendon Urie's 'ME!' copy Emeli Sande's 'Next to Me’?

26 April 2019, 17:55

By Sam Prance

Charlie Puth and others think that 'ME!' is remarkably similar to 'Next to Me'...

Taylor Swift and Brendon Urie's single 'ME!' is being accused of ripping off Emeli Sande's 'Next to Me'.

Taylor and Brendon released 'ME!' today as the first single from Taylor's as yet untitled seventh studio album. The brand new duet is already receiving praise from fans and critics alike. The self-love anthem is being lauded for its euphoric hooks and its relatable message. Not only that but there's tons of references in the lyrics and easter eggs in the video. However, the early reception to 'ME!' isn't all positive; Charlie Puth and many others think that it copies another hit.

Compare 'ME!' and 'Next to Me' below.

While they are both very different in style, Taylor and Brendon's 'ME!' and Emeli's 'Next to Me' do share a similar chorus and fans of both artists have been quick to notice it. The 'Me-e-e, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh' refrain in 'ME!' and the 'Next to me – wooh hooo' segment of 'Next to Me' share a bit of a resemblance. Some people think that's it a just coincidence but others are accusing Taylor and Brendon of ripping off Emeli.

Charlie Puth compared the two songs in a tweet: "new taylor swift song reminds me of this" with a photo of the 'Next to Me' single art. Meanwhile, a fan of Emeli's took to Twitter to write: "I can’t be the only one who picked up Taylor Swift ripping off the chorus of Emeli Sande's song “Next to Me” in her new song". The fan also tweeted a video highlighting the parts of the two songs which sound alike.

Listen to the two songs together here.

Obviously, Taylor, Brendon and their co-writer Joel Little ('Royals') have all proven themselves as songwriters and we doubt that they would ever intentionally steal from another song. They also wouldn't be the first stars to accidentally sample a hit single in one of their songs. Ed Sheeran previously unintentionally sampled TLC's 'No Scrubs' in 'Shape of You'.

As it stands, it's unclear if the songs are just similar or if there's more to it than that. Taylor, Brendon, Joel and Emeli are all yet to respond to the comparisons. We shall update you if they do.

What do you think? Are the two songs similar?