Adele’s “Million Years Ago” faces nationwide ban in Brazil amid plagiarism allegations

Adele’s song “Million Years Ago” has been banned across Brazil following allegations of plagiarism.

According to Agence France-Presse, judge Victor Torres of Rio de Janeiro’s Sixth Commercial Court issued an injunction mandating the removal of the track from all streaming services and global platforms. The decision also imposes a fine of $8,000 per act of non-compliance on the Brazilian subsidiaries of Adele’s record labels, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music.

The legal dispute stems from accusations that Adele’s ballad, co-written with music producer Greg Kurstin for her 2015 album 25, closely resembles Martinho da Vila’s samba classic, “Mulheres.” Toninho Geraes, the songwriter behind “Mulheres,” first filed a lawsuit against Adele in 2021, alleging plagiarism.
Judge Torres ordered Adele’s labels to “immediately and globally” cease all reproduction, distribution, and commercialization of the ‘Million Years Ago’. Fredimio Trotta, Geraes’ attorney, emphasized the broader implications of this ruling, stating, “International producers and artists who have Brazilian music ‘on their radar’ for possible parasitic use will think twice, given this decision.”
This is not the first time “Million Years Ago” has faced such claims. In 2015, fans of the late Kurdish singer Ahmet Kaya accused the song of plagiarizing Kaya’s 1985 track “Acilara Tutunmak” (“Holding On to Pain”). However, no legal action resulted from those allegations.
Adele has previously spoken about the inspiration behind “Million Years Ago.” During her 2015 Adele at the BBC special with Graham Norton, she revealed that the song was born out of nostalgia for her youth spent at Brockwell Park in South London. Reflecting on those formative moments, Adele described the track as a bittersweet ode to how life’s changes make certain cherished past experiences unattainable.
‘Million Years Ago’ is one of Adele’s standout tracks from 25, an album that also includes the chart-topping hits “Hello” and “When We Were Young.”
Meanwhile, looking back on Las Vegas Residency, the ‘Hello’ singer recently shared an Instagram post that read, “Well what an adventure! Las Vegas you’ve been so good to me. This residency went on to mirror what 30 was about - lost and broken to healed and thriving! Seems so fitting in the end. The only thing left to do in this case is move on. These 100 shows have been so easy to love. They were all completely different because I got to really be with every single person in the room every night. I’ve loved every single second of it and I am so proud of it! I will miss it terribly, and I will miss YOU all terribly too. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! See you next time.”