‘Selos’ singer Shaira issues statement after Lenka takes action vs song

Mindanao-based singer Shaira Alimudin, popularly known as “Shaira Moro,” assured her followers she is doing well after her breakthrough song “Selos” was pulled out of online streaming platforms following a comment from Australian singer Lenka Kripac.

Reports said Lenka was alerted by an Instagram user who commented in one of her posts that someone was “claiming” her song and “earning from it.”

The Instagram user then mentioned Shaira and her viral song “Selos,” which catapulted the Filipina into online fame and caused her to be dubbed the “Queen of Bangsamoro Pop” by social media users.

ALSO READ: ‘B-Pop excellence’: TikTok dubs trending singer Shaira the ‘Queen of Bangsamoro Pop’

Lenka responded to the user: “Yes, we have taken action, thanks.”

Reports said that hours after the Australian singer’s comment, Shaira’s “Selos” could no longer be accessed on digital music service platforms on Tuesday.

The Filipina’s record label also confirmed that it has pulled out the viral song as a “voluntary act” on their end.

“On behalf of our artist, Shaira, AHS Productions would like to convey our heartfelt apologies to all those who have enjoyed listening to the song ‘Selos’ as it is now unavailable [on] all online streaming platforms,” AHS Productions said in a statement.

It added that it is “making arrangements with regards to the legality of the publication of the song.”

“We have chosen to take it down from all platforms pending our agreement with the original artist’s management on securing a cover license for ‘Selos,’” the record label said.

“As most of you may know, the melody that we have used is originally from a song [titled] ‘Trouble is a Friend’ by Lenka and as of the moment, we are already in contact with her team for us to make ‘Selos’ an official cover,” it added.

Despite the issue, AHS Productions thanked Filipinos for “opening” their hearts to a song that it “only made public for the sake of entertainment.”

“We certainly did not expect that it will become this big to a point where Shaira will be known as the ‘Queen of Bangsamoro Pop.’ We could not be prouder,” it said.

“We hope that when time comes and we will be re-uploading the song, you will show her the same love and acceptance. Again, thank you very much and we are hoping for your understanding. Peace and good vibes to all!” the record label concluded.

Shaira shared the statement on her Facebook page and assured the public that she was “okay” amid the issue.

“Sa mga totoong kaibigan at [concerned] po saakin, Alhamdulillah, okay na okay po ako,” she said on Facebook on Wednesday, March 20.

“Alhamdulillah” is a phrase that means “Praise be to Allah.”

“Basta more Sab’r lang sa mga taong ayaw sa’yo at gustong kang masira (heart emoji). Maging masaya lang po tayo sa mga buhay natin, Ramadhan Mubarak (smiling face-with-revolving-hearts emoji),” Shaira added.

“Sab’r” means patience, while “Ramadhan Mubarak” means a “blessed Ramadhan.”

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and their holy month of fasting. It begins and ends with the appearance of the crescent moon.

Devout Muslims fast every day from dawn to sunset during Ramadan, which they consider a period of introspection, communal prayer in the mosque and reading of the Qur’an.

Meanwhile, the song “Selos” shares the same melody as Lenka’s hit “Trouble Is A Friend,” which was released in 2008.

In the video description of the “Selos” music video, a disclaimer could be seen which notes that it is a “parody.”

However, social media users claim the disclaimer was placed after Lenka was made aware of the song. It reads:

“The content presented here is a work of parody and should be viewed as such. This work is intended for entertainment purposes only and is not associated with the original creators or any entities affiliated with the original work.”

A user on the X (formerly Twitter) platform also shared similar instances of Filipino songs that have faced “music copyright” issues.

“Perhaps the most notorious OPM case in history is Levi Celerio’s ‘Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit’ (1950s), the Tagalized version of the Visayan carol ‘Kasadya Ning Taknaa’ (1933) by Vicente Rubi [and] Mariano Vestil,” user @kikiampapi wrote, sharing a link about the issue.

“Selos” (2023) was taken down after a copyright claim for sampling elements of “Trouble Is A Friend” (2009) by Lenka.

Sampling differs from interpolations & covers/parodies, and requires many clearances by law. Today, we explore similar cases in OPM of music copyright. (1/n) https://t.co/FO6M57TaLr pic.twitter.com/x92yGSgGpB

— j0shie (@kikiampapi) March 19, 2024

The online user also explained what could happen following AHS Productions’ statement.

He said that “Lenka [and] Tawgs Salter will be credited as writers” and “AHS will pay the needed mechanical license fees for downloads.”

In the comments section of the record label’s statement, it said that Shaira will be releasing “more ORIGINAL MUSIC soon.”