Music Blogs

Cheryl Cole may be rocketing to Number One on the British pop charts with what looks set to become the biggest selling single of 2009 but it's not all solo joy in the mock Tudor mansion of this particular footballer's wife. Because "Fight For This Love", the song which is currently taking the UK by storm, today stands accused of being a rip-off of a 2007 track from Kelis, entitled "Lil Star".

In the aftermath of her explosive and contentious "live" performance on this weekend's "X-Factor", music fans have been up-in-arms online about the apparent similarities. Joining the furore, Ali1998 insisted: "It was the first thing I thought of when I heard it and ran off to play ‘Lil Star' immediately to everyone in the room. My daughter exclaimed: ‘It's exactly the same!'" Chief Wahoo wrote: "I had no idea that it was even Cheryl Cole. But ‘Lil Star' by Kelis just kept going through my head", while an anonymous poster insisted: "Pretty much the entire song is a re-sampled version of ‘Lil Star', just with new lyrics and a dancey break".

But it doesn't end there. Oh no. Other allegations about Cole's solo bow are aimed squarely at the video. Some claim a tiled wall featured at one point is a direct steal from Dannii Minogue's "Put The Needle On", while others suggest her outfits have been variously pinched from Lady GaGa and dismal "X-Factor" girl band/pole-dancing troupe Kandy Rain. In an age when producers are working across acts on an international remit, Cheryl's people are adamant the musical allegations are a non-story. "There are no similarities", said a spokesman, despite the almost identikit melody line. Judge for yourself here:

Kelis "Lil Star"