Lady Gaga has been threatened with a multi-million-dollar lawsuit by an unknown songwriter, who has claimed the nine-time Grammy-winning artist stole the melody for “Shallow” from one of his songs.
Songwriter Steve Ronsen argues his song “Almost” features the same three note progression – G, A, B – and was uploaded to SoundCloud six years previous to the release of Gaga’s “Shallow”.
Lady Gaga’s lawyer, Orin Snyder, said: “Mr. Ronsen and his lawyer are trying to make easy money off the back of a successful artist.”
“It is shameful and wrong,” he continued. “I applaud Lady Gaga for having the courage and integrity to stand up on behalf of successful artists who find themselves on the receiving end of such [claims].”
However, Steven Ronsen’s lawyer told Page Six: “In an effort to amicably resolve this matter months ago, my office provided Lady Gaga’s legal team, at their request, with an official report from a renowned and respected musicologist and professor who determined that there are significant tempo, melodic, rhythmic and harmonic similarities between the two ‘hooks’ of the songs at issue.”
“Shallow” won Lady Gaga an Oscar as it featured in her hit film A Star Is Born, which was released in 2018.
