BTS agency strongly denies ‘Swim’ plagiarism claims, to take legal action after US songwriters file copyright lawsuit

The lawsuit was filed by Steve Cooper, John Sandler and Greylyn Johnson, who claim BTS' chart-topping single is similar to their own unreleased demo.

BigHit Music has denied allegations that South Korean juggernaut BTS' latest song, Swim, from their new album Arirang, copied an unreleased track by three American songwriters. The agency responded after a copyright lawsuit was filed in the US, saying the claims are baseless and that it will defend the song through legal action.

BTS hit with Swim plagiarism lawsuit; BigHit Music says claims are baseless (AFP)

The lawsuit was filed by Steve Cooper, John Sandler and Greylyn Johnson, who claim BTS' chart-topping single is similar to their own unreleased demo, which is also titled Swim. As reported by Billboard, the complaint names Hybe, Hybe America, BigHit Music and the song's credited writers, including former OneRepublic member Ryan Tedder, as defendants. While the BTS members have not been named in the lawsuit, RM has been mentioned as one of the song's contributing writers.

Songwriters allege their demo was circulated

The lawsuit claims that the three songwriters started sending their demo to people in the music industry in March last year, including executives at Artist Publishing Group. They allege that representatives from the independent music label “listened to the (demo) and shared it with others” who were later involved in the making of BTS' Swim.

As part of their case, the plaintiffs brought in musicologist Alexander Stewart to compare the two songs. According to the complaint, he found similarities in “the hook referencing the title, unusual harmonies, textures, and rhythmic and lyrical elements.”

“In my expert opinion, independent creation of BTS can be ruled out and copying is the inescapable conclusion,” Alexander stated in his report, according to court documents. Alexander has previously worked as an expert witness in copyright cases involving Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud and Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven. Both of those lawsuits were eventually dismissed by the courts.

BigHit Music rejects the allegations

Responding to the lawsuit on Friday, BigHit Music denied the allegations and said the complaint only presents the plaintiffs' side of the story. “This lawsuit represents nothing more than a one-sided argument put forward by the plaintiffs,” the agency said in a statement shared with Korean media outlet Yonhap. “We make it unequivocally clear that 'Swim' was created independently and originally.” The agency added that it is ready to defend itself in court. “We will respond forcefully through proper legal channels going forward.”

Swim is the lead single from BTS's fifth studio album Arirang. The song debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts earlier this year and has enjoyed strong global success since its release.

Meanwhile, BTS is gearing up to headline the halftime show at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in North America on July 19, where they will perform alongside Justin Bieber, Madonna and Shakira.