Last week, Lady GaGa scored an Oscar nomination for Til It Happens To You, the haunting song she cowrote with Diane Warren for the documentary The Hunting Ground.
While no one can argue that the track was powerful enough to score a nod for Best Original Song, one critic is saying that GaGa shouldn’t have got nominated for it — because she barely wrote it!
Linda Perry, who wrote hits like Christina Aguilera‘s Beautiful and Pink‘s Get This Party Started, took to Twitter to drop some award season shade.
Video: Kevin Hart Saved GaGa’s Life At The Golden Globes!
It all started a few days ago with this seemingly innocent tweet:
Congratulations to all nominees especially @Diane_Warren you wrote a beautiful song and @ladygaga gave a powerful performance.
— LINDA PERRY (@RealLindaPerry) January 14, 2016
Then on Sunday night, a follower mentioned that Diane and The Countess officially wrote the track together — to which Perry said:
@brunnopfvr no Diane did.. Now shoosh it.
— LINDA PERRY (@RealLindaPerry) January 18, 2016
The soundtrack ballad talks about campus rape in the United States, mirroring the eye opening discussion in the 2015 documentary The Hunting Ground.
Warren wrote the first draft of the song after watching an early screening of the documentary a year before its premiere, then asked the Born This Way songstress to lend her vocals for the official version of the song.
Before they recorded the song, GaGa helped make some lyrical alterations to the original version, which Diane recognized by giving her an official songwriting credit!
But according to Perry, GaGa only changed a few words and didn’t do enough work to deserve writing credit! She posted:
Normally I wouldn’t respond to all this but I don’t know Im feeling spunky. There was another artist that originally was gonna sing #TIHTY
— LINDA PERRY (@RealLindaPerry) January 18, 2016
I have Diane’s original demo with her singing. The only line that has been changed “Till you’re at the end, the end of your rope”
— LINDA PERRY (@RealLindaPerry) January 18, 2016
Originally was “TIL YOU GOT A HOLE RIPPED IN YOUR SOUL”. So I guess technically one line was changed so sure Gaga possibly “rewrote” a line
— LINDA PERRY (@RealLindaPerry) January 18, 2016
But chances are Diane still took part in rewriting that line which means Gaga contributed a few words. Is that writing? Not in my book.
— LINDA PERRY (@RealLindaPerry) January 18, 2016
I love Gaga so much respect and love this song that has nothing to do with anything. Why did Gaga get credit? Maybe because …
— LINDA PERRY (@RealLindaPerry) January 18, 2016
Diane wanted to ensure her support in promoting the song. Gaga is a very smart business women she knew a song written by Diane Warren
— LINDA PERRY (@RealLindaPerry) January 18, 2016
Would be up for an Oscar. And you know it’s hard getting music out there and heard. Especially a song from a documentary , so Diane knew
— LINDA PERRY (@RealLindaPerry) January 18, 2016
If she gave Gaga writing credit it would ensure the support this song needed and deserved. And Gaga knows her power. I’m not putting anyone
— LINDA PERRY (@RealLindaPerry) January 18, 2016
Or anything down. I’m stating the truth . I credit Diane for writing this song, it is her experience her pain her words. That’s it kids.
— LINDA PERRY (@RealLindaPerry) January 18, 2016
There’s no bitterness, I’ve stated Gaga killed this song so powerful so blown away by her performance.
— LINDA PERRY (@RealLindaPerry) January 18, 2016
Wow! We’re not sure what to think of this…
Neither GaGa nor Diane have responded to Perry’s claims. What do YOU think of this controversy?
[Image via Joel Ginsburg/WENN.]
