Earlier this week, Grammy award-winning recording artist Lorde took to her Instagram with an accusation that has since gone on to grab headlines and spark debate about intellectual property in the entertainment industry. Comparing her 2017 Coachella stage which featured a transparent, floating glass box to Kanye and Cudi's Kids See Ghosts Camp Flog Gnaw performance this past weekend, the New Zealand singer wrote, "I'm proud of the work I do and it's flattering when other artists feel inspired by it, but don't steal - not from women or anyone else - not in 2018 or ever."
Fans were quick to point out the admittedly striking similarities between the stage designs consequently prompting discussion about whether Lorde's claims were justified as the concept of a floating glass box has been utilized in the sets of many artists before. In an email to the New York Times, John McGuire Trask House, the company that designed the Kanye and Cudi's stage, revealed that the "Royals" singer “wasn’t the first person to use a floating glass box, she won’t be the last. She doesn’t own it, her designer didn’t invent it.” He added: “Cubes and floating aren’t new to Kanye West, stage design or architecture. A quick google of floating glass box brings up many instances of suspended glass cubes.”
As McGuire implied, influential artists such as Justin Bieber, David Blaine, ASAP Rocky, and Kendrick Lamar have been known to use similar setups.
