A song recently released by Korean singer IU reportedly includes samples of a 2007 song by Britney Spears.
On Tuesday, the K-Pop Herald reported that a plagiarism dispute was building around IU's "Twenty-Three," a song she performed in the Korean drama "The Producers" and recently released on her latest album, "CHAT-SHIRE." The song gained notice for similarities to Britney Spears' 2007 song "Gimme More."
Both IU's agency and Britney Spears's South Korean distribution agency responded to the claims.
Loen Tree, IU's agency, released a statement on Facebook addressing the issue.
"The source of the voice sample used is unclear, so we will contact and check with Britney Spears's side," said Loen. "We will wait for the results of the confirmation process and reveal everything to the public once it's out."
Later in the day, Sony Music responded on behalf of Britney Spears, saying that the vocal sampling on the track will be investigated.
A backtrack of what appears to be part of Britney Spears' "Gimme More" can be heard during the chorus of "Twenty-Three."
"Twenty-Three," not to be confused with the lead track off of "CHAT-SHIRE" that shares the same name, was released as part of the soundtrack of KBS2's "The Producers."
IU had a starring role in the show, where she starred as a singer named Cindy who performed the embattled "Twenty-Three" during several episodes of the show.
"Twenty-Three" was released as the bonus track on "CHAT-SHIRE."
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Tamar Herman is a multi-media journalist and the co-founder of KultScene. She is a freelance writer and copy editor, and has written for MTV Iggy, Noisey, and Paste Magazine.
