LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Members of a reggae band sued Dua Lipa today, alleging in Los Angeles federal court that the Grammy Award-winning singer and her team ripped off one of the group's songs as the basis for her international hit ``Levitating.''
Florida band Artikal Sound System alleges that ``Levitating'' is a knockoff of their 2017 track ``Live Your Life,'' according to the lawsuit, which names Los Angeles-based Warner Records among defendants.
``Levitating'' was released in various formats, including as a track on Lipa's album ``Future Nostalgia,'' which won best pop vocal album at the Grammys last year. The British singer -- who is scheduled to headline two nights at the Forum this month -- performed the song at the awards show.
``Live Your Life'' was commercially released on CD Baby in 2017 and appeared on a variety of streaming services including Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, Amazon and Sound Cloud, according to the plaintiffs.
The suit alleges that in 2020, Lipa and her co-defendants ``listened to and copied `Live Your Life' before and during the time'' they were writing ``Levitating,'' which the reggae band members contend is ``substantially similar'' to their song.
``Given the degree of similarity, it is highly unlikely that `Levitating' was created independently,'' according to the complaint, which seeks damages and profits arising from the alleged infringement.\
Representatives for Lipa could not be immediately reached for comment.