Post Malone isn’t running away from a court battle over his 2019 hit song “Circles.”
What’s going on:
- According to multiple reports, Tyler Armes has sued Austin Post, the real name of singer Post Malone, producer Frank Dukes and the Universal Music Group over hit the song “Circles.”
- Armes said he “spent hours in the studio jamming with Post and Dukes and ultimately co-writing the song ‘Circles.’” He said he helped write the song, specifically the keyboard chords and guitar melody at the beginning of the track, according to the complaint.
- Armes said in the complaint the lyrics hadn’t been finished at his time of involvement. Instead, Armes said that the instrumental music and melodies were “note for note” with what he worked on with the group.
- According to the complaint, Armes wants to be declared a co-writer on the track. He said he wants credit and prospective and retroactive royalties as well.
- Armes’ attorney, Allison Hart of Lavely & Singer, told The Hollywood Reporter: “It is very disappointing that Post Malone and his team did not provide Tyler Armes with co-writing credit. A number of witnesses will corroborate that Tyler co-wrote ‘Circles.’ We expect to be fully vindicated when this matter is decided by the court.”
Post Malone strikes back
However, Post Malone’s attorney, Christine Lepera, filed a complaint to the New York federal court, saying Armes was present at the first recording session in August 2018 but he didn’t write anything that was used in the song. And, according to the complaint, Armes didn’t attend any follow-up sessions.
The complaint reads: “It is an age-old story in the music business that when a song earns the type of runaway success that ‘Circles’ has garnered, an individual will come out of the woodwork falsely claim to take credit for the song, and demand unwarranted and unearned windfall profits from the song.”