Tedder wrote both Halo for Beyonce and Already Gone for Kelly Clarkson
One Republic singer Ryan Tedder has said claims he penned the same song for both Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson are "hurtful and absurd".
The songwriter was responding after Clarkson claimed her new single Already Gone was built on the same backing track as Beyonce's Halo.
Tedder said the tracks were "entirely different songs conceptually, melodically and lyrically".
He added he "would never try to dupe an artist" into recording the same track.
Clarkson criticised Tedder in an interview with Canada's CBC News saying she was unaware of the similarities until she heard the songs together, adding the former Destiny's Child star's album was released as Clarkson's was in production.
"No-one's going to be sitting at home, thinking 'Man, Ryan Tedder gave Beyonce and Kelly the same track to write to,'" she said.
"No, they're just going to be saying I ripped someone off. I called Ryan and said, 'I don't understand. Why would you do that?'"
Clarkson said she "fought and fought" to try to prevent her record company Sony Music from releasing the single out of respect, but it was still being released "without my consent".
In response, Tedder said in a statement: "Already Gone is one of the best songs I've written or produced since [Leona Lewis'] Bleeding Love and stands tall on its own merits apart from Halo.
"I think when people hear Already Gone they will hear what I hear - one of the greatest female vocalists on earth giving her most haunting and heart-breaking performance on a song she helped write."
"I challenge people to listen and form their own opinions," he added.
Beyonce's Halo reached number four in the UK singles chart in March this year.
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