The Weeknd Hit With Lawsuit Saying He Plagiarized "Call Out My Name"

The Weeknd is being sued by Epikker members Suniel Fox and Henry Strange over allegedly copying their song "Vibeking" for 2018's "Call Out My Name."

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The Weeknd, along with collaborators Nicolas Jaar and Frank Dukes, is being sued by Suniel Fox and Henry Strange, who make up the group Epikker. They’re alleging that he plagiarized their 2015 song “Vibeking” for his opener on 2018’s My Dear Melancholy, “Call Out My Name.”

The suit alleges, “Both works are in a minor key. Both works are in a 6/8 meter that is less common in popular music. Both works are played at a similar tempo. And both works use features of electronica, ambience, pop, hip-hop, rock, and R&B to achieve a particular atmospheric and melancholic sound.”

According to Law 360 and Stereogum, Fox and Strange allege they were in correspondence with the Weeknd’s DJ and engineer PNDA, who told them that he wasn’t going to credit them on the song.

“Just gonna tell [The Weeknd] that our production team wrote the track,” the two claim PNDA wrote to them. “Cool? Or u have another idea? Just don’t wanna say ‘hey, [Strange] wrote this’ when he doesn’t know u.”

Strange replied, “[The Weeknd] knows me. Say both. [Strange] with Ponytail you met on Drake tour. Who is part of our production team.” 

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“Call Out My Name” peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and amassed over 700 million YouTube views and 836 million Spotify streams. Fox and Strange’s “Vibeking” is currently unavailable on any streaming services.

The two artists seek all profits that “Call Out My Name” has amassed, along with legal fees, and want the Weeknd blocked from performing the song until the case is settled. Universal Music Group and other entities that back the Weeknd were also named in the suit.

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