Robbie Williams is defending Olivia Rodrigo after listeners compared her new holiday single, “Take Me Home (4 Christmas),” with his 2012 hit “Candy.”
Rodrigo, 23, released her first official Christmas single on November 6th while on The Unraveled Tour. The track followed her October “Expectations” remix with Chappell Roan.
Williams, 52, posted a brief Christmas greeting to the singer on X on November 7th. He followed it with a longer Instagram statement on November 9th.
The discussion also drew in Christopher Butler, who wrote The Waitresses’ 1981 single “Christmas Wrapping,” after listeners identified a resemblance to that song as well.
Robbie Williams Says He Won’t Pursue Olivia Rodrigo Over the Similarities
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Williams said Rodrigo might have accidentally arrived at a sound that reminded him of his own work. He declined to assess whether there was a technical publishing or copyright issue.
“I’m not going after her,” he wrote in the statement, reproduced by Stereogum.
His frustration extended to the wider music industry. Williams recalled facing similar accusations himself, sometimes recognizing the resemblance and sometimes finding the comparison absurd. With a limited number of notes and chords, he argued, musicians would inevitably arrive at familiar combinations.
He acknowledged that artists deserve protection against genuine theft and that his own career position gave him the freedom to take a relaxed approach. What bothered him was treating every recognizable sequence as a financial opportunity, which he believed could discourage creativity.
Williams also explained that he had been a Rodrigo fan since hearing “Brutal,” a recording he wished he had made. His message to her ended with a joke about how much she swears onstage.
“Please stop swearing so much,” he joked, explaining that he felt obliged to keep up despite already using more profanity than necessary. He closed with Christmas wishes.
The “Christmas Wrapping” Writer Heard Rodrigo’s Song Before Its Release
Butler’s introduction to Rodrigo began with an email about two months before the song came out. Someone claiming to be the singer praised The Waitresses and invited him to hear a Christmas track she had written.
He initially suspected an impersonator and admitted that he knew little about her. After researching Rodrigo, he replied with praise for her arrangements, lyrics and determination to be recognized as a songwriter, although he still wasn’t entirely certain who was contacting him.
Butler eventually heard the track and met Rodrigo after her concert in Columbus, Ohio. He praised the song publicly and later joined the discussion in YouTube comments.
“The vibe is there, but no plagiarism,” he wrote, as NME reported. He also agreed with a listener who described the song as an homage and welcomed the renewed attention to his band’s music.
Cynthia Nixon and Ben Marshall Join Rodrigo’s Christmas Music Video
Saturday Night Live‘s Ben Marshall plays Rodrigo’s love interest in the music video, with Cynthia Nixon as his mother. Rodrigo imagines joining his family for holiday games, meals and other traditions before the ending returns to him still asleep.
According to Universal Music Canada, Rodrigo wrote the track with Dan Nigro and Amy Allen. Nigro also produced it.
The single is available digitally and in physical editions, including a seven-inch vinyl record and cassette.