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Music

Tulisa Is Finally Being Recognised as the Britney Hit-Writer She Is

Your girl co-wrote 2012's "Scream and Shout" with Will.iam but didn't have a credit on it even though you can hear her voice on the track??
Daisy Jones
London, GB
Lead image courtesy of PR

Picture the scene. It’s 2012. You and Will.i.am have written a song. It’s a really good pop song, with an extremely catchy chorus. This fucking bangs, you think, I’m going to put it on my brand new album and everyone’s going to love it. The chorus you co-wrote is in your head for days, because it is that good, and you find yourself singing it to yourself in the shower, while driving in the car, in the supermarket – “I scream… and shout… and let it all out” – excitement building as you think about the final touches you’re going to make before getting this bad boy out into the public domain.

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Oh… but wait, there is no getting it out into the public, because, actually, Will.i.am’s producers don’t want you to have it anymore. They’re going to give "Scream and Shout" to Britney Spears instead, because she is literally Britney Spears, so that’s that. And before you know it, your baby, which you put your own sweat, blood and tears into, is being sung by Britney, and it’s climbing the UK charts, and it’s reaching number 1, her first number 1 in the country an entire decade, and your name has been erased from the history of “Scream and Shout," with zero recognition, monetary or otherwise.

If you haven’t worked it out already, I’m speaking about Tulisa Contostavlos, who has just won a legal battle she launched five years ago after she got zero recognition for the song she co-wrote. She has now won ten percent of the worldwide publishing rights. “Tulisa wrote that song before I did – this is the truth,” Will.i.am said at the time, according to the Metro, “but the producers of the beat … didn’t want her to have it.” Not only that, but apparently during the court case it was found that you could still hear Tulisa's vocals underneath Britney's on the track that was eventually released. I mean, that's why it sounds like Britney's not singing anywhere near her own accent, how did no one peep that?? But whatever, at least The Female Boss is finally getting the cash that rightfully belongs inside her pockets.

Justice for Tulisa! Read our profile of her here and listen to the evil song above.

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