Robbie Williams has ruled out taking legal action against Olivia Rodrigo after listeners compared her new Christmas single with his 2012 hit, 'Candy'. While acknowledging a possible musical resemblance, the singer said he had no intention of turning it into a copyright dispute.
Williams addressed the discussion in an Instagram statement on 09 November 2026, after Rodrigo's first Christmas single, 'take me home (4 christmas)', prompted comparisons with his earlier track. He praised the 23-year-old singer and questioned the growing tendency to challenge artists over similarities between songs.
His comments followed a post on X on 7 November that read, 'Happy Christmas @oliviarodrigo x'. Some interpreted the message as a dig at Rodrigo, but Williams subsequently clarified his position in his Instagram statement.
Robbie Williams Says He Is 'Not Going After' Olivia Rodrigo
Listeners have compared Rodrigo's festive single with Williams' 2012 hit 'Candy', pointing to similarities in their melodies and overall sound. However, no formal copyright claim or legal dispute between the two artists has been established. Williams said he had previously faced similar accusations over his own music, arguing that musical resemblance alone should not automatically lead to legal action.
He observed that there are only so many notes and chords available to musicians, making similarities between compositions inevitable. Turning his attention to Rodrigo, Williams praised her 2021 song 'Brutal', from her debut album Sour, saying he wished he had written it.
He suggested that Rodrigo might have 'accidentally stumbled across a musical echo' of his work, but stressed that he was not concerned about the resemblance. Williams also said he did not know whether the similarities raised any publishing or copyright issues and had no interest in investigating them.
'I'm not going after her', he wrote, arguing that some perspective was needed when discussing similarities between songs.
Why Olivia Rodrigo's Christmas Song Has Drawn Comparisons
Released on 05 November 2026 in US coverage, 'take me home (4 christmas)' marks Rodrigo's first Christmas single. The upbeat track was written with Dan Nigro and Amy Allen and accompanied by a music video featuring Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon and Saturday Night Live comedian Ben Marshall.
The song also attracted comparisons with 'Christmas Wrapping', the 1981 festive hit by The Waitresses. Christopher Butler, the song's writer and guitarist for the band, addressed the discussion and praised Rodrigo's track as an homage. He also said Rodrigo had contacted him before its release to share the song.
Butler subsequently rejected suggestions of plagiarism, saying the festive atmosphere was recognisable but that there was no plagiarism. The comparison with 'Christmas Wrapping' is separate from the discussion surrounding Williams' 'Candy'. Neither comparison, by itself, establishes copyright infringement.
Williams Warns Against Stifling Musical Creativity
Although Williams said genuine theft should be taken seriously, he criticised what he viewed as excessive copyright disputes in the music industry. He argued that protecting original work was important but should not mean treating every familiar sequence of notes as grounds for a legal claim.
Describing some disputes as 'ambulance chasing', Williams warned that pursuing every perceived musical similarity could discourage artists from experimenting and drawing inspiration from earlier music.
He also acknowledged that his established position in the industry allowed him to take a more relaxed approach than artists who might not have the same financial security. Williams maintained that musicians inevitably build on the work of those who came before them, sometimes consciously and sometimes without realising it.
A Playful Message for Olivia Rodrigo
Williams ended his statement by reiterating his admiration for Rodrigo, describing her as 'f*cking brilliant'. He also joked about her frequent swearing on stage, saying she made him feel like a 'Victorian schoolmistress' by comparison. Asking her to swear less, he joked that her language made him feel obliged to keep up.
He signed off with a message of affection and Christmas wishes, making his position clear: despite the comparisons between 'take me home (4 christmas)' and 'Candy', he has no intention of pursuing Rodrigo over the matter.
