Phoenix-based band Halocene are claiming that The Masked Singer Australia has ripped off their version of the Billie Eilish hit ‘Bad Guy’.
The band, who regularly perform alternate arrangements of popular songs on their YouTube channel, posted their heavy rock take on the song back in April. Kate Ceberano (as ‘The Lion’) covered the song in an episode of The Masked Singer Australia in September.
Taking to YouTube, Halocene members Bradley Amick and Addie Nicole claim the reality singing contest “[stole] note for note, beat for beat, our musical arrangement of ‘Bad Guy’.”
“Regardless how they came across our version, someone with the music department of the show had to go over the intricate details of our recording. There are things that aren’t even present in the Billie Eilish version, which includes distinct chord changes, the guitar, the bass lines, instrumental melodies, vocals. Even the ad libs.
“There’s no way it can be construed as just inspiration, it’s virtually a carbon copy.”
The band acknowledges that in the video they pay full license and royalty fees to the acts that they cover on their channel, saying they want to make it clear they’re not trying to take credit from Eilish and the song’s producer Finneas O’Connell.
“This is their song. They’re on another level when it comes to music. This is really just our niche, and we enjoy trying to change genre of songs.”
They also point out that, in developing their ‘Bad Guy’ cover, they used elements of their original song ‘Why Wait?’
“The Masked Singer Australia has now basically, purposefully and willingly, stolen our licensed recording of ‘Bad Guy’, but now they’ve also inadvertently stolen from my original song.”
You can compare both versions of the ‘Bad Guy’ cover in full for yourself below.
Channel 10 is yet to respond to the accusation.
