Robbie Williams has publicly come to Olivia Rodrigo’s defence after the young pop star faced accusations that her new Christmas song, take me home (4 christmas), bears similarities to his 2012 hit Candy.

The controversy began shortly after Rodrigo released her festive single, with listeners taking to social media to compare the melodies and rhythms of the two songs. Some fans suggested that the new release sounded remarkably similar to Williams’ earlier hit, sparking conversations about musical originality and copyright.

However, Williams appears uninterested in turning the discussion into a legal dispute.

In a lengthy statement shared on Instagram on November 9, the 52-year-old singer made it clear that he was not planning to pursue Rodrigo over the perceived similarities.

Williams admitted that he could hear what he described as a possible musical echo of his song in Rodrigo’s latest release. Nevertheless, he stressed that musical similarities do not automatically mean an artist has deliberately copied another musician.

The former Take That star also used the opportunity to express his admiration for Rodrigo, revealing that he had been a fan since hearing her breakthrough song Brutal. He went on to praise her debut album, SOUR, describing it as an outstanding record.

Williams also raised concerns about what he considers excessive copyright accusations within the music industry. According to him, musicians have been creating music for generations, and similarities between melodies, chords and arrangements are sometimes unavoidable.

He acknowledged that genuine copyright infringement should be taken seriously and that artists deserve protection for their original work. However, he believes there is a significant difference between protecting intellectual property and pursuing every perceived musical resemblance.

His comments have attracted attention from music fans, particularly because Rodrigo has previously faced songwriting-credit discussions involving other established artists.

Interestingly, Rodrigo’s Christmas release was also inspired by The Waitresses’ 1981 classic Christmas Wrapping. The song’s songwriter, Christopher Butler, previously revealed that Rodrigo had contacted him about the project.

Williams concluded his statement with a direct message to Rodrigo, calling her brilliant while jokingly asking her to reduce the amount of swearing during her performances.

For now, the controversy has developed into a broader conversation about musical inspiration, originality and the boundaries of copyright protection.

Rather than escalating the situation, Williams has chosen to publicly support Rodrigo, making it clear that he has no intention of taking legal action over the similarities fans have identified.