Truth Hurts: Lizzo credits writer of 'DNA test' tweet
- Published
"I just took a DNA Test, turns out I'm a credited writer for the number one song on Billboard."
That's what British singer Mina Lioness tweeted after officially being credited as a writer on Lizzo's song Truth Hurts.
The row started after Lizzo wanted to trademark the phrase "I just took a DNA test turns out I'm 100% that...".
Mina tweeted a similar phrase in 2017, but Lizzo claimed not to have seen it.
It's the opening lyric to Truth Hurts, which reached number one on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.
"In 2017, while working on a demo, I saw a meme that resonated with me... I later used the line in Truth Hurts... I later learned that a tweet inspired the meme", Lizzo said on Twitter.
"The creator of the tweet is the person I am sharing my success with..."
While she didn't name her, Mina responded shortly after with a tweet thanking Lizzo and her team.
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Lizzo also mentions two men who claimed to have created the lyric with her in a writing session.
Justin and Jeremiah Raisen said the line in question was taken from a song called Healthy that they wrote with Lizzo and two other writers in April 2017.
They say they'd been "shutdown" when trying to resolve the issue for the past two years.
Lizzo said they "did not help me write any part of the song".
"There was no-one in the room when I wrote Truth Hurts, except me, Ricky Reed, and my tears.
"That song is my life, and its words are my truth."
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Even though the song was released in 2017, the row began this year when Mina heard that Lizzo wanted to trademark the "DNA" phrase.
It was reported she wanted to use it on t-shirts, jackets, hats, bandanas and wristbands.
Lizzo said in an interview that after the initial reaction to Truth Hurts, she almost stopped making music, feeling it wasn't "even making a splash".
But the song began to grow in popularity and was added to the deluxe version of her 2019 debut album Cuz I Love You.
It's been a big year for Lizzo since then - she made her Coachella debut and Rihanna gave her a standing ovation after her performance at the BET Awards.
She also starred in the movie Hustlers alongside Jennifer Lopez and Cardi B.
- Published16 October 2019
- Published13 December 2018
