Lizzo gives 'Truth Hurts' songwriting credit to Mina Lioness who wrote 'DNA Test' tweet

24 October 2019, 13:19

By Nicky Idika

Lizzo revealed this week that musician Mina Lioness has been given songwriting credit on 'Truth Hurts' as the author of a viral DNA test tweet that inspired her iconic opening line.

A musician whose 2017 tweet was the inspiration for one of the most iconic lyrics on Lizzo's 'Truth Hurts' is now a credited writer on the hit song. "I just took a DNA test. Turns out, I'm 100% that bitch" is the standout opening line on 'Truth Hurts' and also happens to be a line tweeted by UK based Mina Lioness almost three years ago.

As of this week, Mina Lioness is credited as a songwriter on the hit single, which was released in late 2017 but only nabbed a Billboard number 1 this summer.

READ MORE: Iggy Azalea trolls Lizzo by trying to get Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello to Number 1

Mina Lioness tweeted her excitement to supporters on Wednesday, writing "I just took a DNA test, turns out I'm a credited writer for the number one song on Billboard."

Lizzo faced some scrutiny over the lyric, with many pointing out that the DNA test lyrics were almost verbatim the words of Mina Lioness on Twitter.

The two previously had a Twitter interaction about the lyric. "Now everyone believes those were your words, when in fact they were mine. My creativity, my wit and my comedy," Mina tweeted in February 2018.

At the time, Lizzo responded: "Truth Hurts was written in June fyi – someone made a meme on IG that said 'I’m 100% that bitch' and we were inspired, I give that meme credit when I talk about making the song. I’ve never seen ur viral tweet but I’m glad it exists."

This month, additional accusations of plagiarism arose and this week, Lizzo filed a lawsuit against three songwriters who say they co-wrote 'Truth Hurts' and were not credited.

In a Twitter statement about the situation posted on Wednesday (23 Oct), Lizzo revealed that she'd settled the situation with Mina Lioness and that she would be a credited songwriter on the track.

Read Lizzo's full statement below.

She said: "Hey ya'll...as I've shared before, in 2017 while working on a demo, I saw a meme that resonated with me, a meme that made me feel like 100% that bitch I sang that line in the demo, and I later used the line in Truth Hurts.

"The men who now claim a piece of Truth Hurts did not help me write any part of the song. They had nothing to do with the line or how I chose to sing it. There was no one in the room when I wrote Truth Hurts, except me, Ricky Reed, and my tears. That song is my life, and its words are my truth.

"I later learned that a tweet inspired the meme. The creator of the tweet is the person I am sharing my success with...not these men. Period. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and my song xoxo."

Mina Lioness returned to Twitter to thank Lizzo.

She tweeted: "I want to publicly thank Lizzo and her entire managment team for embracing me and reaching out [sic]."