Seven Rings: The 90% Royalty Deal Behind a Pop Juggernaut

Ariana Grande's 2019 smash Seven Rings tied a Billboard chart record held only by the Beatles, yet 90 percent of its songwriting royalties went to the publisher of a 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein melody. This episode unpacks how a champagne-fueled Tiffany's trip became a trap-pop friendship anthem built on borrowed music.We break down the difference between sampling and interpolation, why Concord demanded such a steep cut, and how the track sparked debates over plagiarism, cultural appropriation and the hidden costs of borrowing from the past.How a post-breakup shopping spree and matching diamond rings inspired the song in a single afternoonWhy the melody of My Favorite Things forced a 90 percent royalty split among ten credited songwritersThe distinction between publishing and master recording royalties that made the deal worthwhilePlagiarism accusations from Princess Nokia, Soulja Boy and 2 Chainz, and the remix that neutralized the disputeThe mistranslated kanji tattoo that read closer to a barbecue grill than seven rings