Elvis Costello has spoken again defended Olivia Rodrigo and reiterated his reasons for not pursuing legal action against the American singer songwriter following perceived similarities between his song “Pump It Up” and her track “Brutal.” Released in 2021, “Brutal” drew immediate comparisons to Costello’s 1978 hit, particularly for its crunchy, chromatic guitar riff and rhythmic structure. Speaking this week, however, Costello once again dismissed any notion of copyright infringement, describing Rodrigo’s work as part of the “shared language of music.”

At the time of Rodrigo’s single in 2021, Costello addressed comments on social media pointing out its similarities to ‘Pump it Up‘, saying, “This is fine by me… You take the broken pieces of another thrill and make a brand new toy. That’s what I did.” He pointed to the influence of Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” on “Pump It Up” and referenced Chuck Berry’s “Too Much Monkey Business” as a source for Dylan’s track. Speaking with Vanity Fair three years later, Costello reiterated his stance, stating that it would be “ludicrous” to seek legal action given the complex interplay of influences in the song-writing process.

Elvis Costello told Vanity Fair he wouldn’t sue or demand credit from Olivia Rodrigo over similarities between her song “Brutal” and his “Pump It Up,” calling it ridiculous.

— “Now, I did not find any reason to go after them legally for that, because I think it would be… pic.twitter.com/FM1Pc8I30G

— Rodrigo Times (@RodrigoTimes) October 30, 2024

“Without references or quotations, there’d be no Bach. There’d be no Mozart. There’d be no Sonny Rollins,” Costello said to Rolling Stone this week. He also remarked that while few other musicians perform his songs, his music often serves as an inspiration, as he believes was the case with Rodrigo’s track.

Costello’s position on music copyright stands in contrast to recent trends of retroactive crediting among pop artists. In 2021, Rodrigo added Taylor Swift, St. Vincent, and Jack Antonoff to her song “Deja Vu” after listeners noted parallels to Swift’s “Cruel Summer.” Similarly, Paramore’s Hayley Williams and Josh Farro were credited on Rodrigo’s hit “Good 4 U” due to its likeness to the band’s 2007 hit ‘Misery Business’. Rodrigo has since stated that the credit changes took her by surprise, telling Rolling Stone in 2023, “At the time it was very confusing, and I was green and bright-eyed… It was more team-on-team. So, I wouldn’t be the best person to ask.”

In the same Rolling Stone interview, Rodrigo also commented on the idea of taking legal action for similar musical overlaps, echoing Costello’s view on music’s collaborative nature. “I don’t think I would ever personally do that,” she said, “But who’s to say where I’ll be in 20, 30 years. All that I can do is write my songs and focus on what I can control.”