R&B/Soul
Olivia Dean song accused of copying Bill Withers classic in new lawsuit
Bill Withers’ music publisher has filed a lawsuit claiming Olivia Dean’s I’ve Seen It borrows protectable elements from Just the Two of Us.
Bill Withers’ music publishers have filed a lawsuit claiming that Olivia Dean’s I’ve Seen It borrows protectable musical features from the late singer’s 1981 hit Just the Two of Us.
The complaint, brought by Bleunig Music and Mattie Music Group, targets Universal Music Group rather than Dean herself.
According to the filing, the publishers believe Dean’s track - the closing song on her 2025 breakthrough album The Art of Loving, now certified gold in the US - contains melodic material that is too close to Withers’ chart‑topping R'n'B classic. Just the Two of Us reached No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains one of Withers’ most recognisable songs.
Court documents say Mattie Music Group hired a musicologist to analyse both recordings. The expert reportedly found “substantial similarities” between the works, including what the lawsuit describes as repeated use of a melody associated with Withers’ composition. The publishers also claim they warned Dean’s label about potential infringement in August, but the track stayed on streaming platforms.
The complaint argues that the long‑running popularity of Just the Two of Us - including decades of radio rotation and nearly a billion Spotify streams - means the writers of I’ve Seen It would likely have been familiar with the song. Withers co‑wrote the track while signed to Bleunig Music, giving the company grounds to pursue the claim.
Dean has spoken publicly about the emotional origins of I’ve Seen It, telling W Magazine last year that she wrote it after “a lot of red wine.” She said hearing the finished version moved her to tears, describing it as “the loveliest note to end on” and reflecting on the sense of connection she hoped the song would capture.
The track has been streamed around 246 million times on Spotify, while Withers’ original has amassed more than 948 million plays. Dean won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist earlier this year, cementing her rise as one of the UK’s most successful new acts.
