Adele is facing an international legal case after a Rio de Janeiro judge Victor Torres has ruled that ‘Million Years Ago,’ a ballad from her acclaimed 2015 album 25, must be withdrawn from global circulation. The reasoning behind the ruling is an allegation of melodic theft levied by Brazilian samba musician Toninho Geraes.
Geraes claims Adele’s melancholic tune mirrors his 1995 samba classic Mulheres (Women), a song immortalised by Martinho da Vila on the album Tá Delícia, Tá Gostosa. This injunction demands Sony and Universal Music halt the song’s reproduction across all platforms, with noncompliance threatening fines of $8,000 (£6,300 ) per infraction. The decision currently remains open to appeal.
Fredimio Trotta, Geraes’ lawyer, called the decision a victory for Brazilian music, a genre often preyed upon by international creators seeking inspiration. “This landmark ruling sends a message to producers and artists who might view Brazilian compositions as easy targets,” he told AFP according to the Guardian. The case is aiming to both protect Brazilian musicians as well as set a clear stance on musical appropriation on an international stage
The stakes are high. Geraes is suing for $160,000 (£126,000) in damages, lost royalties, and songwriting credit. The case rests on the claim that the melodies reveal an “undisguised symmetry,” an accusation Adele’s team has yet to address.
This marks the second time Adele has faced plagiarism claims for this particular track. In 2015, Turkish music fans accused it of resembling Acilara Tutunmak (Clinging to Pain) by Kurdish singer Ahmet Kaya. The controversy then fizzled without legal action after Kaya’s widow decided it was unlikely that any similarity was an intentional act of appropriation by the megastar.
Brazil’s adherence to the Berne Convention, a cornerstone of international copyright law, lends weight to Geraes’ claim, embedding it within a legal framework designed to protect the creative commons across borders. As Sony and Universal deliberate on the potential for an appeal, the ultimate fate of ‘Million Years Ago’ remains uncertain, suspended in the liminal space between accusation and adjudication.
Adele’s decision to pause her career after the crescendo of her Las Vegas residency finds her unexpectedly drawn into a legal maelstrom. The dispute underscores the migratory nature of melodies, whose origins and influences often transcend the confines of time and geography. It is a testament to the enduring entanglements of cultural production, where artistic echoes can resonate in ways both celebratory and contested.
