After 'Selos,' Shaira's 'Forever Single (Walang Jowa)' and 'Pakboy' accused of copying Indonesian artists
Shaira, the singer behind the viral track Selos which was taken down from official platforms following a copyright claim from Australian artist Lenka, is in hot water again. Social media users alleged that her two other songs were copied from Indonesian artists.
Facebook users and pages shared videos containing excerpts of Shaira’s Forever Single (Walang Jowa) and Papinka’s Masih Mencintainya, as well as Pakboy and Siti Badriah’s Lagi Syantik. They noted how the melodies are similar.
Shaira’s songs were released in 2023, while Papinka’s and Badriah’s songs were released in 2013 and 2018, respectively.
As of writing time, Forever Single and Pakboy are no longer available on Spotify, as well as the YouTube channel of Shaira’s record label, AHS Channel.
But a “KARAOKE | INSTRUMENTALS” version of Forever Single is still up on YouTube, as well as male singer MC AG’s version, whose title explicitly states that it’s a “Papinka Parody.” There’s also a “KARAOKE / MINUS ONE” version of Pakboy.
(Selos is still on the platform as a “KARAOKE | INSTRUMENTALS” version, on top of Shaira’s 58-second live performance.)
On Instagram, some users flocked to Papinka’s latest posts to inform it about Shaira’s alleged rip-off.
The band’s record label Ascada Musik, in a response to one comment, said that with the system it has, the supposed similarity “will surely be detected,” assuring the commenter that there will be “no commercial benefit.”
In another response, Ascada Musik said “this case has been processing.”
The camp of Siti Badriah has yet to issue a statement on the issue.
Selos quickly went viral on social media, spawning funny content and dance covers that amassed hundreds of thousands of views. It reached over 800,000 Spotify streams and 9 million YouTube views.
However, several users noted its similarities with Lenka’s 2008 hit Trouble is a Friend.
Amid the issue, AHS Channel in a statement said it voluntarily removed Selos from its platforms, as it’s “still making arrangements with regards to the legality of the publication of the song.”
It acknowledged the netizens’ observations and noted that it’s in touch with Lenka’s team to make Selos “an official cover.” It initially said that Selos is “a work of parody” and “intended for entertainment purposes only.”
PhilSTAR L!fe reached out to AHS and Shaira for comment on the latest copyright infringement allegations but has yet to receive a reply.