Jason Derulo Wins ‘Savage Love’ Trial as Jury Rejects Guitarist’s Bid for Songwriting Credit
Jason Derulo has prevailed in the legal fight over authorship rights to one of his biggest hits, with a jury unanimously rejecting claims that session musician Matthew Spatola deserved songwriting credit and royalties for Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat). The verdict, delivered Thursday after an 11-day trial, ends a dispute that centered on a familiar but increasingly contentious question in modern pop music: when does a studio contribution cross the line from hired performance into legal authorship?
The seven-member jury found that Spatola was not a joint author of either the song’s written composition or a related sound recording created during an April 2020 studio session with Derulo. The decision was unanimous, a clear victory for Derulo after days of sharply conflicting testimony over what actually happened in the room when the global hit was being assembled.
As the verdict was read, Derulo reportedly appeared visibly relieved, lowering his head as his attorney placed a hand on his back. Speaking afterward, the singer kept his remarks brief, saying he believed the jury reached the correct conclusion and that he was ready to move on from the legal battle and return to making music.
The lawsuit stemmed from Spatola’s claim that his contributions to Savage Love were not merely technical or performative, but creatively foundational. A veteran guitarist who has worked with major artists including the Weeknd, Kehlani, Jessie J, T.I., and Ye, Spatola argued that he was brought into Derulo’s home studio not as a conventional session musician, but as a creative collaborator tasked with helping shape the final record. According to his testimony, he was not handed formal sheet music or rigid instructions. Instead, he said he developed original guitar and bass arrangements that became an essential part of the song’s finished sound.
Spatola’s legal team built its case around the idea that these contributions were independently copyrightable creative work. His attorney argued that the guitar parts helped define the track’s “organic feel,” distinguishing it from the viral instrumental composition that formed its backbone. One particularly important argument focused on the song’s pre-chorus, which the plaintiff’s expert described as a significant musical addition rather than a routine performance embellishment. In closing arguments, Spatola’s lawyer claimed the guitar arrangement was substantial enough to stand as a composition in its own right.
Derulo’s version of events was dramatically different.
The singer testified that Spatola was hired for a straightforward role: to execute musical instructions on a song that was already conceptually complete. At the heart of the defense was Laxed (Siren Beat), the viral instrumental track created by New Zealand producer Jawsh 685 that exploded online during the early months of the pandemic. By the time Derulo became involved, the melody had already become a global social media phenomenon, powering dance challenges and massive engagement across TikTok.
Derulo told jurors he was not looking to reinvent the song, only to build a more polished framework around it that would support his vocals. According to his testimony, he personally dictated the musical direction for the guitar and bass parts, even demonstrating during a recorded deposition how he allegedly sang the lines to Spatola in the studio. His argument was simple: performance is not authorship.
He also pushed back against Spatola’s characterization of their relationship, insisting the two had never worked together before and that he had no reason to invite an unfamiliar producer into a collaborative songwriting process. While acknowledging that Spatola played well, Derulo maintained that the musician’s role was limited to executing instructions rather than originating creative concepts.
