Alicia Keys accused of copyright infringement for "Girl on Fire"

Alicia Keys attends Keep a Child Alive's ninth annual Black Ball on Dec. 6, 2012, in New York. / AP

Alicia Keys is facing a copyright infringement case for her hit song "Girl on Fire."

Songwriter Earl Shuman believes that Keys' song sounds like a song he co-authored in 1962 called "Lonely Boy," which reached No. 2 on the Billboard chart in 1970 after being recorded by Eddie Holman as "Hey There Lonely Girl," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Roger Friedman of Showbiz411 noted the similarity as well writing that he believed Keys sampled a piece of Shuman's song.

"In the middle of the song, Alicia sings a couplet or so from Eddie Holman's 1970 classic 'Hey There Lonely Girl,'' he wrote.

Shuman contacted Friedman and cites Friedman's article in his lawsuit, THR reports.

Keys' "Girl on Fire" is currently featured in a commercial and is No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

[mari1963]

She's no musical genius. She's a chick who can sing and play the piano, big deal!

If she stole it, then she should admit it and give credit to the person who the song really belongs to.

I don't care for her, her choice of husband or her music, but I don't believe she's dishonest. It's probably an honest mistake.

[bobnjersey]

[She's no musical genius. She's a chick who can sing and play the piano, big deal! ]
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she has 14 grammy awards ... and has sold over 30 million records.

that's a big deal

[BoonBot]

Go listen to the official Miss Keys' Youtube video and at 2:25, you'll hear a section that is exactly like Mr. Shuman's song with the words "she's a lonely girl....lonely world." It's so strikingly the same that it seems like an homage. The part is like the hook chorus from Shuman's song. It's the only part in the whole song that I can hear that is similar. The man has a case. For her not to hear it is amazing to me. I don't think he's going for fame, but for what is rightfully his.

[bobnjersey]

[It's the only part in the whole song that I can hear that is similar. The man has a case. ]
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it's three seconds out of almost four minutes. it's not the main musical foundation of the song ... and nobody would ever notice if they weren't directed to it ... or otherwise looking for a specific correlation.

good luck w/ his case ... he's going to need it.

[BoonBot]

It's no different than using a section of someone's song in your movie--you must pay the royalty and credit the writer. If you sing just a snippet of the song Happy Birthday in a movie, the Hill estate gets paid. That small section is his song inserted in her creation. It's so obvious when you hear it. The man rightfully needs to be paid and credited. it will be settled out of court.

[BoonBot]

Go listen to the official Miss Keys' Youtube video and at 2:25, you'll hear a section that is exactly like Mr. Shuman's song with the words "she's a lonely girl....lonely world." It's so strikingly the same that it seems like an homage. The part is like the hook chorus from Shuman's song. It's the only part in the whole song that I can hear that is similar. The man has a case. For her not to hear it is amazing to me. I don't think he's going for fame, but for what is rightfully his.

[matt6052]

I thought she was a joke in the credit card commercial. I never imagined such a silly song could be for real.

http://youtu.be/jA4DR4vEgrs

[JVILLEMAN_NC]

Songwriter Earl Shuman is irrevelavent, so he is trying to get his 2 more mins of fame by going after Miss Alicia Keys. In no universe is there any similarity of the words "no one knows that she a lonely girl""and its a lonely world" as compare to "Hey there lonely girl" Earl does not own the words lonely girl...If this goes to court, and Miss keys will win...Earl should be made to paid her atty's fees and for wasting her time.

[ballwyllo]

Agree songwriter is not a popular as Alicia Keys so that means she is entitled to steal his work. I mean that makes perfect sense to me. Heck everyone knows what a musical genius she is.