“Christmas Wrapping” Songwriter Is A Huge Olivia Rodrigo Fan And Says Her New Single Is An “Homage,” Not A Ripoff

On Thurday (Nov. 5), Olivia Rodrigo released her first-ever Christmas song "take me home (4 christmas)," which immediately drew comparisons to the Waitresses' 1981 classic "Christmas Wrapping." Before it came out, the new wave band's Christopher Butler made a Facebook post stating that the pop star had reached out to him in advance and they even met at her Unraveled Tour in Columbus (which Stereogum reviewed) just last week. As many are jumping to accuse Rodrigo of plagiarism, Butler is doing his best to quell the backlash, also jumping to her defense on YouTube.

In his original Facebook post, Butler explained what went down before the release of "take me home (4 christmas)":

BACKSTORY: About two months ago, I received a weird email from someone claiming to be “Olivia Rodrigo”. It was filled w/ Waitresses gush, and just had to be fake. Said she’d written a Christmas song, and invited me to hear it.

?????

I didn’t know who OR was, so I did a deep dig. Wow…what a career.

So, I wrote back:

<Um...

Er...

Well. If you really are you, thanks for contacting me. And your comments are really sweet, and very flattering.

They're really sweet and flattering...even if you AREN'T you.

If you really are Olivia Rodrigo:

I like you.

I like your music.

I like the arrangements especially. Soft-loud-soft, etc. And that your recordings sound like people are playing on them.

I like that you're insisting on/demanding that you be recognized as a songwriter.

I like that you have women in your band.

I like that your lyrics are intense, real, and poetic.

I like that you "got" my songwriting, and that you like our band.

I like that you were smart enough to hold on to your masters when you signed your deal.

I like that you are you, and will growgrowgrow.

...and I would be honored to hear your Christmas song.

Really.

Best/CB>

Her song was/is great. It’s going to be a smash, maybe even that elusive Christmas #1 contest they have every year in the UK.

Then she invited Beth and I to her Daisy Chain Festival in LA. Too short notice, but then I got texts from her minder at her label. OR's 86 show/6 month tour was landing in Columbus, and Ms. Minder repeatedly said “She wants to meet you”.

So, Beth & I did meet her after the show. After just killing it for two+ hours.

A delight.

"And PS: tho comps were offered, we paid for our tickets, because I have a strict policy of paying to see my friends perform," he added, and then continued: "GANG: Olivia's Christmas song was released yesterday. I think it's a fantasticbangersmash, and if it has the same upbeat vibe as "CW", well...how cool is that? I'm a fan, and I wish her monster success with it. Thanks, Olivia, for the chance to connect."

More effusive praise:

I was absolutely obsessed with Sour when it came out. Relevant, honest, insightful and FUN! Even as a Gen X'er, I was like ya'll better put some respect on her name bc this isn't just a great debut album for a teen, it is A Great Album!

And she's only grown from there--love the Daisy Chain Festival and everything she's doing to work with the artists she respects. She's amazing live, I could go on and on!

On Friday, Butler followed up with a link to BBC's article that discussed the influence of the Waitresses hit on Rodrigo's song: "GANG!!!! Thanks to the BBC for this write-up. And kudos to Olivia Rodrigo for doing the right thing. Respect, Fan Boy gush, and wishing that her song is a monster smash," he wrote.

Responding to someone who wrote "proper writing credit would have been nice though," Butler got more specific, then addressed Gwen Stefani's Christmas song from last year that many felt was blatant Waitresses ripoff:

Can't © a "vibe". Her song has no copy of "CW"s melody/chord progression/nothing to justify a claim. I'll take flattery for the win!

To get legal - there's nothing actionable in her tune. [ASIDE: unlike Gwen Stefani's song of last year = "Shake The Snow Globe", which has buckets of provable cribs.]

And after referencing the landmark legal battle over credit on Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," he continued:

Am highly certain that OR and/or her minders did run the song by legal council, and ask if there was the risk of an infringement of any sort. She was probably told to seek me out for comment, which she did. FYI: I'm in the middle of another "CW" infringement case which does involve direct copying. The "vibes" are similar, but that's too weak a point to even include in our forensic musicologist's written opinion. In short, better to bless and move on.

Butler also hopped into the YouTube comments:

Thank you all for the comparisons to "Christmas Wrapping". The vibe is there, but no plagiarism—and this is from the guy who wrote "CW". LOVE O.R., too. Happy Holidays to everyone!/Chris Butler

[Quoting the comment "I view it more as an homage and personally really like it"] As do I. The vibes are similar, and that's okay w/ me.

Yes. Very gracious of her [to reach out]. I'm a fan now, and what's interesting is how many of my demographic (GeezerBoomer) friends love and respect her, too. Her talents, her empowering songs, her recognition of the work of her elders, her activism, and her charity work. BRAVO!

On Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on Thursday, music video costar Cynthia Nixon (whose Sex & The City character inspired multiple songs on Rodrigo's latest album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love) mentioned an Olivia Rodrigo Christmas album but surely (?) she misspoke. However, there is a b-side. The melancholy "miss this christmas" is currently only available exclusively on vinyl and cassette.

Finally, Butler's comments did not come without any controversy, as he took a shot at Taylor Swift. In his comments last week, Butler had responded to the comment "Uh oh. Wait 'til Taylor 'Vampire' Swift finds out!"

"Swift is seeing something in the rareview mirror...and it's coming fast," he wrote.

After someone called him out on the shade yesterday, he elaborated:

It's a JOKE, dearie. And yes, a younger woman with a huge following could be (I say, could be) perceived as this year's model and a potential threat to the older TS's pop throne. The music biz has always hungered for and runs on The Next Big Thing. Which shouldn't come as a surprise.

Notably, Swift and her "Cruel Summer" co-writers Jack Antonoff and St. Vincent received retroactive credit on Rodrigo's "deja vu" in 2021.

Compare "take me home (4 christmas)" and "Christmas Wrapping" below, and check out "miss this christmas":