Hayley Williams and Josh Farro credited as writers on Olivia Rodrigo's 'Good 4 U'

Olivia Rodrigo's 'Good 4 U', released in May 2021 as a single from her debut album 'Sour', became one of the year's biggest hits. Its pop-punk sound quickly led listeners and critics to compare it with 'Misery Business', the 2007 Paramore song from the album 'Riot!'.

By early September 2021, songwriting credits for 'Good 4 U' had been updated to include Hayley Williams, Paramore's lead singer, and Josh Farro, the band's former guitarist, who co-wrote 'Misery Business'. They joined Rodrigo and producer Dan Nigro, who were already credited as writers. The change meant the two Paramore figures would share in the song's songwriting royalties.

The move was not an isolated case. Rodrigo had also credited other artists, including Taylor Swift on another 'Sour' track, after similarities were noted. Rodrigo had spoken openly about Paramore as an influence. The episode became an early reference point in ongoing debates about how much new pop songs borrow from older ones, and it is cited again whenever fresh copying claims surface around her music.