Kid LAROI Clarifies He Wrote 'Stay' Apart From Bieber Verse

The Kid LAROI clarifies songwriting credits for his hit 'Stay' with Justin Bieber, stating he wrote every lyric apart from Bieber's own verse.

Australian pop star The Kid LAROI has publicly clarified the songwriting credits for his global hit duet "Stay" with Justin Bieber, stating unequivocally, "I wrote every single lyric apart from Justin’s verse." The clarification, made in an interview, aims to set the record straight regarding the creative process behind one of the decade's biggest songs. This move highlights the ongoing importance of artistic attribution and creative ownership in the music industry, where public perception and official credits can significantly impact an artist's songwriter reputation and royalty shares.

This public clarification contrasts with the often-opaque nature of collaborative songwriting in pop music. LAROI's statement represents a proactive effort to assert his primary authorship and control his artistic narrative. Making this definitive claim about lyric writing is the critical deliverable for his professional identity. This matters because in an industry where streaming revenue and publishing rights are paramount, clearly established authorship is crucial for both financial compensation and critical legacy, especially for a young artist establishing his long-term career.

For music publishers, industry journalists, and aspiring songwriters, the implications are instructive. This incident underscores the necessity for transparent contractual agreements and clear credit documentation from the outset of any collaboration. The forecast is for more artists to proactively manage public understanding of their creative contributions. Decision-makers at record labels must ensure collaborative processes are documented to prevent future disputes. The next imperative for LAROI and his team is to ensure this clarification is formally reflected in all official publishing databases and awards submissions, cementing his claimed role in the song's creation for the historical record.