Olivia Dean’s music collided with a Grammy-winning classic in a new lawsuit accusing the singer of repeatedly copying the melody of Bill Withers’ “Just the Two of Us.”
Dean’s label was sued by Mattie Music Group, the publisher of Withers’ catalog, Friday. Dean’s 2025 song, “I’ve Seen It,” and Withers’ hit classic have “obvious and inescapable similarities,” according to the lawsuit obtained by Fox News Digital.
“The number, character and arrangement of the shared musical features are so striking that they support an interference that the similarities did not result from coincidence, independent creation or reliance on common musical elements,” the lawsuit claimed.
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At the heart of the case is the allegation that “I’ve Seen It” repeatedly copies the “distinctively protectable melody” of “Just the Two of Us.” After coming across the song in August 2026, Mattie Music Group hired musicologist Alexander Stewart, whose preliminary analysis allegedly found substantial similarities in protectable musical expression.
Mattie Music Group insisted Withers’ original song was so widely disseminated that Dean and co-writers Bastian Langebæk and Max Wolfgang had a reasonable opportunity to encounter it.
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“Just the Two of Us” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, won a Grammy Award and received decades of radio play and streams. It has also been covered by a number of artists.
The label reportedly notified the companies of the alleged infringement on Aug. 17, 2026, but claims they continued commercially exploiting the song afterward.
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The federal lawsuit targets Capitol Records, Universal Music Group, Sony Publishing and Kobalt Music Publishing — not Dean personally — and seeks damages, profits and an injunction against further alleged infringement.
Withers broke through in 1971 with “Ain’t No Sunshine,” which earned him his first Grammy. His catalog includes classics such as “Lean on Me,” “Use Me,” “Lovely Day,” “Grandma’s Hands” and “Just the Two of Us.
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Dean, 27, is a British singer-songwriter whose blend of soul, pop and jazz-inflected R&B has made her one of the U.K.’s biggest breakout stars.
She released her debut album, “Messy,” in 2023. Her second album, “The Art of Loving,” produced major hits, including “Nice to Each Other,” “So Easy (To Fall in Love)” and “Man I Need.”
