Taylor Swift has denied copyright infringement claims on her hit song ‘Shake It Off’.
“The lyrics to ‘Shake It Off’ were written entirely by me,” Swift said in her statement filed Aug. 8.
This is the second time Swift has had to defend the song’s lyrics.
The copyright lawsuit was originally filed in 2017, but was later dropped.
However, after appealing a year later, a judge recently ruled that the case would go to trial and be decided by a jury.
The lawsuit was filed by songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler, who accuse Swift of plagiarizing their 2001 track “Playas Gon’ Play” for the band 3WL.
However, Swift says she didn’t even know the song existed: “The first time I heard the song was after that claim was made.”
In the statement, Swift strongly denies stealing any lyrical content, using childhood stories to prove her point.
“I remember hearing phrases about gamer play and hating enemies being said together by other kids while they were in school in Wyomissing Hills and high school in Hendersonville,” Swift said.
She argued that these popular phrases inspired the song’s lyrics, pointing out that it was unrealistic for people to lay claim to ubiquitous sayings in society.
“I also remember hearing similar phrases from gamers and haters in many songs, movies and other works before ‘Shake it Off,'” she said.
The musician also explained how 2014’s “Shake It Off” came about with co-writers Max Martin and Shellback.
Swift claims Shellback did the drumbeat, while Martin and Swift collaborated to create the melody. Swift then improvised the lyrics, she claims.
Co-writers Martin and Shellback also deny hearing the song before the trial.
‘Shake It Off’ appears on Swift’s fifth studio album 1989.
Meanwhile, Swift’s fans are divided over her private jet use, after the star was revealed to have the highest CO2 emissions of any celebrity this year.