Jason Derulo Grilled in 'Savage Love' Trial Over Songwriting Credits
Jason Derulo faced intense cross-examination in a Los Angeles trial, defending his claims to the songwriting credits and royalties for his 2020 hit, 'Savage Love'.
Jason Derulo engaged in a heated exchange with a lawyer on Tuesday (May 5) regarding the rightful credits and royalties for his 2020 chart-topper, “Savage Love.” The courtroom drama unfolded in an ongoing Los Angeles federal trial.
The singer underwent cross-examination concerning the credits for “Savage Love,” a viral TikTok sensation from August 2020 that later reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, thanks to a remix featuring BTS. Matthew Spatola, credited as a session musician, asserts his entitlement to writing and producing splits.
Derulo testified during his direct examination last week that while Spatola “played a beautiful guitar and bass,” the plaintiff “created absolutely nothing” for “Savage Love.” On Tuesday, it was the Spatola team’s turn to question Derulo and push back on those claims.
“Do you think that if you contribute creatively to a song, you should get writing credit?” Spatola’s lawyer, Christopher Frost, asked Derulo during the cross-examination.
“I love giving people their just due,” responded Derulo. “The last thing that I’ve ever wanted to do was take something from someone. If Mr. Spatola created the [melody], I would absolutely have given him credit.”
The debate centered on whether Spatola’s contribution met the threshold of creative input. Tensions flared when Frost questioned Derulo about the differences between Spatola's guitar part and the synth guitar from the original source material: “Laxed – Siren Beat” by Jawsh 685.
“Mr. Spatola delivered organic guitar, yes or no?” asked Frost.
“The melody all existed in ‘Laxed — Siren Beat,’” replied Derulo.
“Answer my question,” pressed Frost. “None of those instruments existed in ‘Laxed – Siren Beat’ in organic form, right?”
“The melody existed,” Derulo insisted in his response, “but he re-played it on an organic guitar.”
Derulo and Frost also clashed over the absence of a work-for-hire agreement, which would have designated Spatola solely as a session musician without copyright ownership. Derulo had merely texted Spatola after their April 2020 recording sessions, asking, “1K good each day?”
“You’ve routinely had session musicians sign work-for-hire agreements, right?” Frost asked Derulo.
“I don’t have knowledge of that,” replied Derulo, adding that his business team normally handles paperwork. He said “Savage Love” was recorded at the height of COVID-19 quarantine restrictions, “so the people that would typically be in place to give him an agreement just weren’t there.”
The trial is slated to wrap up on Wednesday (May 6) with closing arguments from both sides. The jury will then begin deliberations to decide whether Spatola is right that he deserves creative credits.
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