Lorde has accused Kanye West and Kid Cudi of “stealing” one of her set designs.
West and Kid Cudi performed as their duo Kids See Ghosts for the first time at the Camp Flog Gnaw festival in Los Angeles last weekend, from within a transparent cuboid box suspended above the stage. Lorde used a similar box during her 2017 Coachella festival performance, and on her subsequent Melodrama world tour.
“I’m proud of the work I do, and it’s flattering when other artists feel inspired by it, to the extent that they choose to try it on themselves,” she wrote on Instagram, pairing images of her tour with images of West and Kid Cudi’s performance. “But don’t steal – not from women or anyone else – not in 2018 or ever.”
Her stage design was manufactured by Tait, and designed by Es Devlin, who has frequently also worked with West in the past on his Touch the Sky, Glow in the Dark, Watch the Throne and Yeezus tours. The Guardian has reached out to Devlin for comment, and to representatives for West.
West has previously been accused of similar plagiarism by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, who said in June: “I saw Kanye West blatantly rip off … our tours production-wise, which I’ll say without any hesitation. And they know.” West didn’t respond to the accusation. Another of West’s distinctive stage designs – a tilting stage floating above the audience – was indirectly referenced by Taylor Swift on her song Look What You Made Me Do, in which she says: “I don’t like your tilted stage.”
West hasn’t responded to Lorde’s comments, though he has further postponed his forthcoming new album, Yandhi. It was originally scheduled for 29 September, then rescheduled for 23 November, but in the wake of his performance with Kid Cudi West tweeted: “It felt so good being on the stage last night with my brother Cudi. After performing again, I realize the new album I’ve been working on isn’t ready yet. I’ll announce the release date once it’s done. Thank you for understanding.”
