Olivia Dean Faces Plagiarism Lawsuit Over 'I've Seen It'
Olivia Dean and her label are being sued by Mattie Music Group, which alleges her song 'I've Seen It' copies the melody of Bill Withers' 'Just The Two of Us.'
Mattie Music Group has sued Olivia Dean and her label Capitol Records, claiming her song 'I've Seen It' copies the melody of Bill Withers' 'Just The Two of Us'. The lawsuit was filed with the US District Court in the Central District of California on Thursday, 1 October.
The publishers of Bill Withers' catalogue allege the two songs share musical features that are 'so striking' they cannot have arisen by coincidence. Mattie Music Group, which owns the rights to Withers' back catalogue, hired a musicologist to review the two songs. The analysis concluded the works contain 'substantial similarities' including 'repeated copying' of the melody.
To prove plagiarism, the claimants must show Dean and her co-writers had previously heard Withers' song. Mattie Music Group argues the 1981 track had 'extraordinary and sustained' commercial success, including decades of radio play and a peak at number two on the US charts. This success, they allege, gave the musicians a 'reasonable opportunity' to have encountered it.
The group claims it sent written notice to the defendants in August, notifying them of 'material musical similarities'. The record continued to be distributed after the notice. Mattie Music Group is now asking for an injunction 'permanently restraining' the label from further infringing their copyrights. The lawsuit names Universal Music Group, parent company of Capitol Records, and Dean’s publishing companies as defendants. It does not seek damages from Dean's co-writers Bastian Langebæk and Max Wolfgang. The defendants have not yet responded to the lawsuit.
Background on the songs and their success
'I've Seen It' is the closing track from Olivia Dean's second studio album The Art of Loving, which was released in September 2025. The album won Album of the Year at the Brit Awards and reached number one in the UK and number three in the US. Dean also won Best New Artist at this year's Grammys. Her song 'I've Seen It' has been streamed on Spotify about 246 million times.
Bill Withers' 'Just The Two of Us', a collaboration with saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr., is a 1981 Grammy-winning R&B classic. Withers won a Grammy for Best R&B Song for the track. It has been streamed on Spotify about 948 million times. Bill Withers died in 2020 at the age of 81.
The commercial and critical profiles of the two songs are contrasted in the table below.
| Song | Artist | Release Year | Key Accolade | Spotify Streams (approx.) | Album Chart Peak (UK/US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I've Seen It | Olivia Dean | 2025 | Brit Award (Album of the Year) | 246 million | #1 / #3 |
| Just The Two of Us | Bill Withers (with Grover Washington, Jr.) | 1981 | Grammy (Best R&B Song) | 948 million | Not specified / #2 |
Olivia Dean's recent accolades and personal reflections
The British pop star, now 27, has seen rapid success. The Art of Loving topped charts in the UK, Australia, and Germany. Tracks including 'Nice to Each Other', 'Man I Need' and 'So Easy (To Fall in Love)' reached the UK top ten. Dean broke a chart record for longest-running number one with Sam Fender after their track 'Rein Me In' spent 19 non-consecutive weeks at the top spot.
She spoke emotionally about writing 'I've Seen It' in an interview with W Magazine last year, saying she wrote it after 'I'd had a lot of red wine'. Olivia Dean said: "When I heard it back for the first time, I burst into tears. It felt like the loveliest note to end on."
The defendants have not yet responded to the lawsuit, and the BBC has contacted them and Olivia Dean's representatives for comment.
