A group of Christian musicians are suing Katy Perry for copyright infringement, claiming her hit “Dark Horse” replicated their 2008 song “Joyful Noise.”
The four plaintiffs added that their song has been sullied by “witchcraft, paganism, black magic and Illuminati imagery,” according to the complaint filed on July 1 in St. Louis. Rappers Marcus Gray, Emanuel Lambert, Lecrae Moore and producer Chike Ojukwu are seeking damages from Katy Perry, Juicy J, Lukasz Gottwald, Sarah Theresa Hudson, Max Martin, Henry Russell Walter and Capitol Records.
This isn’t the first time Perry has come under fire for allegedly copying a song: last year critics pointed out similarities between her song “Roar” and Sara Bareilles’ song “Brave.”
Here are “Dark Horse” and “Joyful Noise” below, so you can decide for yourself.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Cybersecurity Experts Are Sounding the Alarm on DOGE
- Meet the 2025 Women of the Year
- The Harsh Truth About Disability Inclusion
- Why Do More Young Adults Have Cancer?
- Colman Domingo Leads With Radical Love
- How to Get Better at Doing Things Alone
- Michelle Zauner Stares Down the Darkness
Write to Eliana Dockterman at eliana.dockterman@time.com
