Are Apple ripping off Shamir?

As per, Apple are busy unveiling new technology-related gizmos, and at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, all eyes were on iOS 10 operating system for iPhone.

Upon seeing the new snazzy advert, viewers quickly realised that the catchy, cowbell-led funk track which soundtracks it bears more than a coincidental resemblance to a Shamir song. Actually, it sounds like a straight-up rip off of ‘On the Regular’. Shazam the song in question, and it’s actually a new track called ‘Hey Hi Hello,’ by a band named Hollywood Wildlife.

As Pitchfork detail in-depth, Hollywood Wildlife have appeared out of thin air, and the three songwriters behind ‘Hey Hi Hello’ are well-known pros, with backgrounds penning giant pop hits. One of them is Blake Healy, who used to be in Metro Station. These days, he writes songs for artists, commercials, and TV through EMI Music Publishing. One of these songs is ‘Hey Hi Hello’, which was snapped up by Apple for this advert.

@ShamirBailey https://t.co/GdTvRITvGv ....!!!!!! do u have legal representation
— Troye Sivan (@troyesivan) June 14, 2016

Listeners have been quick to notice the uncanny resemblance, with musician Troye Sivan asking Shamir “do you have legal representation?”. Shamir retweeted the question.

Asked whether he was aware of ‘On the Regular,’ Hollywood Wildlife’s Healy told Pitchfork “I have heard that song. I think that song’s awesome.” Of suggestions that ‘Hey Hi Hello’ sounds extremely alike, he added, “hopefully that’s a good thing. I think it’s a good thing. I think that stuff is so cool and fun. When I heard his song, I was like, ‘Who did this, and how did people find it?’”

As of yet, Apple are yet to comment. Watch the advert in question below.

Tags: Shamir, News