Recommendations of the Editorial team
Charli XCX’s team has spoken out after Sky Ferreira apparently hinted Several of their old demos were used for Charlie’s soundtrack album “Wuthering Heights” – without proper credit.
Ferreira is listed as a writer and vocalist on one album track: “Eyes of the World.” However, an exchange with a fan account on social media seemed to indicate that she had made additional contributions that were not officially acknowledged. In a statement to Billboard, Charlie’s team denied the allegations and emphasized that proper credit attribution procedures were followed – “all credits were finalized and officially approved by the relevant parties prior to the album’s release.”
The whole thing started with a post on A comment from the account about what Ferreira – who famously hasn’t released a new album since her 2013 debut album – does for a living provoked a response from Ferreira on Instagram: “I’ve been touring for years. I’m working. I’m sorry to tell you this, but your favorite artist is recording my old songs. I hope that answers your question.”
“I’m an honest person. People don’t care about the truth”
The fan account then claimed to have contacted an “industry insider” who supposedly knew more about Ferreira’s involvement with “Wuthering Heights.” He posted a screenshot of an alleged conversation with this anonymous “insider” who said that the intro to “Chains of Love” was ripped off from an old Ferreira demo called “Ancient Idols” and that the “Wuthering Heights” track “Alters” was based on another Ferreira demo from 2015. (The original X-post with the screenshot of this alleged exchange has since been deleted.)
On Instagram, Ferreira explained that the “insider” was “wrong” – but with the addition: “Close, but wrong.” She didn’t want to say anything more: “It was definitely more than just an intro. I put dates on everything. It’s not worth the hassle because I know how the world works.”
In another comment, Ferreira wrote: “I wasn’t planning on saying anything. I’m tired of being dragged through the mud and humiliated for no reason. This has stirred up a lot of things that I’ve worked really hard to put behind me. … I don’t want the behavior of several people to torpedo my album and me. I’m an honest person. People don’t care about the truth. It’s all about which story fits better or sounds more exciting. I am Glad I can finally move on with my life.”
The statement from Charlie’s team emphasizes that she always shares credits “fairly and appropriately” and that she values her employees extremely – which is due to her own history as a songwriter for other artists.
It continues: “In advance of the release of the ‘Wuthering Heights’ album, a standard review process was undertaken on a small number of tracks – including fragments from previous sessions. This process involved managers, legal representatives, artists and producers; it included a thorough review of archival materials and demo recordings. All relevant parties were involved throughout and the album was played in full to all involved prior to release. Songwriting credits and shares were jointly agreed in writing, at Reference to documented timelines and contributions.”
A spokeswoman for Ferreira could not immediately be reached for comment.
