The early reaction to Katy Perry’s “Roar” was more or less, “Hey, that sure sounds like a Sara Bareilles song called ’Brave.’” Here is a comparison of the two songs, adjusted slightly for BPM; the piano similarities are pretty hard to ignore, even if the chord progression is slightly different. Anyway, Bareilles immediately tweeted a classy response to the outcry (“All Love, everybody. All love.”), and for what it’s worth, Perry tweeted her love of “Brave” all the way back in May. It’s also worth pointing out that “Roar” sounds like Robbie Williams’s “Something Beautiful,” Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks” (for the first eight notes, at least), and about half the pop songs currently on the radio. Plus, it cribbed lyrics from “Firework.” There is nothing new under Katy Perry’s sun! (Which is exactly what keeps her career going.)
