IU accused of illegally sampling Britney Spears’ music

November 3, 2015
South Korean singer IU. (Yonhap)

South Korean singer IU. (Yonhap)

SEOUL (Yonhap) — South Korean singer-songwriter IU has been accused of using illegal samples of a Britney Spears song from 2007, local media reported Tuesday.

A person claiming to be a Spears fan posted on an online community message board saying the South Korean singer sampled the chorus of “Gimme More” in “Twenty-three,” the title track of IU’s latest album “CHAT-SHIRE,” a local entertainment news outlet said.

The fan reportedly took issue with a part that goes “keep on rocking,” where Spears’ voice is allegedly heard in the background.

All sampling of music must be approved by its owners unless it is bought through a legitimate paid website.

IU’s record label Loen Tree said it wasn’t immediately clear where the sample, which the producer of “Twenty-three” bought,” came from.

A Loen Tree official said the label has contacted Spears’ agency to confirm whether the allegations are true.