Madison Beer has come to Olivia Rodrigo's defence after fans accused the pop star of copying another song of hers in a recently teased track.
The singer addressed the claims at Phoenix Q&A after audience asked her about online comparisons between Rodrigo's music and other artists' work. Rather than agreeing with the criticism, Beer said the similarities likely came down to a common chord progression that has been used in countless songs over the years.
Her comments quickly caught the attention of fans, with many of them praising the singer for offering a balanced take on a debate that has spread across social media.
Madison Beer Says Similar Claims Were Made About Her
During the livestream, Beer was shown comments comparing Rodrigo's music to other tracks. After taking a moment to look into the discussion, she said she believed the similarities were being overstated.
'I think the chords maybe are similar', Beer said. 'But honestly that chord progression has been used a billion times.'
Madison Beer on Olivia Rodrigo's ‘honeybee’ sounding similar to her song ‘Reckless’, at Phoenix Q&A:
— Madison Beer News (@madisonchart) June 21, 2026
“I don't want to say that because I'm like, I only heard a 15-second snippet. Like I want to hear the whole song, you know? […] I feel like the chords maybe are similar. But… pic.twitter.com/8fzUNMQzk2
The 26-year-old singer explained that many popular songs share similar musical foundations, which can naturally lead listeners to hear familiar sounds.
Beer then reflected on her own experience with criticism after releasing her 2021 hit song 'Reckless'.
'Even when "Reckless" came out, people were like, "This sounds like this, this sounds like that"', she said. 'I'm like, guys, it's a very common chord progression.'
According to Beer, the reason those progressions appear so often is simple.
'The reason it's used a lot is because it's really good', she added.
Olivia Rodrigo Faces Fresh Online Comparisons
The discussion began after snippets of Rodrigo's upcoming music started circulating online. Some social media users claimed parts of the preview sounded similar to songs from other artists. While Rodrigo has not publicly responded to the latest claims, she is no stranger to debates about musical similarities.
Since rising to fame with her debut album SOUR in 2021, Rodrigo's music has often been compared to tracks by other artists. Several of those discussions have sparked wider conversations about songwriting, inspiration and the fine line between influence and imitation in pop music.
idk why the fuck every time a women drops something people try and find a song from another women that sounds a little similar to another song. every fucking time, i’m tired of this agenda to try and bait women into being against each other so you can exploit them
— 🩷 shem ꕤ is pretty sad for a girl so in love (@praeiseup) June 22, 2026
Beer appeared to suggest that listeners should avoid jumping to conclusions based on short previews, noting that hearing only a few seconds of a song rarely provides the full picture.
At the start of the livestream, she admitted she preferred waiting for a complete release before forming an opinion.
'I want to hear the whole song', Beer said.
Fans Praise Madison Beer's Response
Many fans reacted positively to Beer's comments arguing that her perspective highlighted a common misunderstanding about how pop music is created.
Music experts have long noted that chord progressions cannot generally be owned and often appear across multiple genres and decades. Because of this, songs can sometimes sound familiar without one artist directly copying another.
A very level-headed response, love to see it
— 🪭 nosebleed portrait⁷ IS SEEING BTS (@nosebleedportr8) June 21, 2026
Supporters also praised Beer for speaking from personal experience rather than fuelling online criticism. As debates continue around Rodrigo's upcoming music, Beer's response has added a reminder that musical similarities do not automatically mean a song was copied.
