Singer Alice Merton has filed a lawsuit against Kanye West, alleging he used a sample of her song Blindside without permission in his track Gun To My Head. Merton refused to clear the sample due to West’s history of antisemitic and racist remarks.
Key Facts
- Merton’s lawsuit, filed in California federal court, claims West sampled her vocals and melody from Blindside in Gun To My Head, a collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign and Kid Cudi.
- The track features Merton’s original lyrics, “I sat down with a gun to my head,” and repeats a melodic phrase from her song.
- Merton stated she was unaware of the sample until West performed the song in December 2023, with media reports falsely suggesting a collaboration between them.
- She and her label refused to grant permission, citing West’s “values” as contrary to their own, particularly given his antisemitic statements.
- As a German resident and descendant of Holocaust survivors, Merton found West’s public remarks personally offensive.
- Though Gun To My Head was excluded from West’s February 2024 album Vultures 1, it was later released as a bonus track on Vultures 2. Merton faced online backlash from West’s fans for blocking the sample.
Who Is Alice Merton?
Merton is a German singer-songwriter best known for her 2017 hit No Roots, which peaked at No. 2 in Germany and amassed nearly 400 million Spotify streams. She has released two albums: Mint (2019) and S.I.D.E.S. (2022).
Key Background
West has faced widespread criticism for antisemitic comments since 2022, including praising Hitler and wearing swastika-branded apparel. Adidas severed ties with him, costing him his billionaire status. Merton’s lawsuit references these controversies, as well as prior lawsuits against West for unauthorized sampling.
Tangent
West has been sued multiple times for unapproved samples, including by Donna Summer’s estate over Good (Don’t Die), which was later removed from streaming platforms. Billboard reports at least five similar lawsuits since 2022.
