For Katy Perry, there really is no going back.
Perry, 34, learned the hard way Monday that the final lyric of her 2013 bop, “Dark Horse,” is all too true when a federal jury unanimously decided the track stole from a Christian rap song, AP News reports.
Perry’s Grammy-nominated single improperly copied 2009’s “Joyful Noise,” according to a 2014 suit filed by Marcus Gray — who released the track using the stage name Flame — and two co-authors.
The “American Idol” judge and her “Dark Horse” co-authors testified they had never heard Gray’s song nor heard of him prior to the lawsuit. They said they didn’t even listen to Christian music.
Perry has been open about starting her career as a Christian artist, as noted by Gray’s lawyer.
The penalty phase is set to start Tuesday to determine how much Perry and her fellow defendants will have to pay for copyright infringement.
So far, the song’s notes and beats have taken priority over the lyrics and recording, which could leave Perry in the clear.
Right now, those liable include all six songwriters and all four corporations responsible for having released and distributed the song. Both Perry and Juicy J are listed as songwriters, though the latter only wrote his rap portion of the song.
Dr. Luke is among Perry’s producers, responsible for the beat, who were also found liable.
The 45-year-old producer, born Lukasz Gottwald, is no stranger to scandal. In 2014, singer Kesha sued the pop producer for alleged emotional abuse and sexual assault. The suit was dismissed in 2016.
Perry also performed “Dark Horse” during her 2015 Super Bowl halftime show. The single ended 2014 as the year’s number two song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Perry was not present for the verdict.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
