Elvis Costello has again brushed off the idea of going after Olivia Rodrigo over claims that her song “Brutal” resembles his “Pump It Up,” saying the accusations are “too silly to talk about” and that suing her would be “ludicrous.”
The comments arrive in a fresh interview and put the debate back in view for readers who have followed the long-running argument over where inspiration ends and copying begins. Costello said, “Well, I met Olivia, and she was lovely,” then described the disputed resemblance as “this is just a riff.”
He also argued that the complaint does not hold up on its own terms. “How could I be arrogant enough to sue on the basis of originality when my song is based on ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’?” he asked, adding, “Did Bob Dylan sue me? He teased me about it but didn’t sue.” He then pushed the point further: “Did Chuck Berry sue Bob because his song was like ‘Too Much Monkey Business’?”
Costello made almost the same case in 2021, after a tweet called “Brutal” “pretty much a direct lift from Elvis Costello.” He replied, “This is fine by me,” and said, “It’s how rock and roll works.” He added, “You take the broken pieces of another thrill and make a brand new toy. That’s what I did.” He later said in 2024 that the idea of suing Rodrigo was “ludicrous.”
The exchange lands in a pop music climate where credit disputes are now part of the business of writing hits. Rodrigo has already given co-writing credits to Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff and St. Vincent for “Deja Vu,” after publicly saying the song was inspired by Swift’s “Cruel Summer.” Swift was also credited on “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back,” which interpolates a piano riff from “New Year’s Day.” After that debate, Rodrigo said it was “disappointing to see people take things out of context and discredit any young woman’s work,” while also saying, “All music is inspired by each other.”
Costello’s remarks do not point to any legal action, and his latest answer seems designed to end the matter rather than reopen it. For now, the nearest thing to a verdict is his own: “This is just a riff.”
