Ariana Grande has signed over 90% of royalties for "7 rings" to two people

20 March 2019, 10:42 | Written by Cerys Kenneally

(News)

(Ariana Grande)

Ariana Grande has parted ways with 90% of the royalties for her hit single "7 rings", after signing it over to the late composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II.

After being streamed more than a billion times after its January release, Grande has released 90% of the songwriting royalties from her thank u, next album track to The Sound Of Music composers Rodgers and Hammerstein.

"7 rings" samples snippets of the iconic "My Favourite Things" musical track, with Grande modernising The Sound Of Music lyrics to lines such as, "Wearing a ring but ain't gon' be no Mrs / Bought matching diamonds for six of my bitches / I'd rather spoil all my friends with my riches / Think retail therapy my new addiction."

As the New York Times report, the deal for Grande's track was agreed a few weeks before its release in January, with Concord, the representatives that own Rodgers and Hammerstein's catalog, accepting the deal without further negotiation.

Theodore S. Chapin, the executive who has managed Rodgers and Hammerstein’s copyrights for years, stated that Rodgers' late composer daughter, Mary Rodgers, "would have thought this is pretty kick-ass."

Gwen Stefani previously sampled The Sound Of Music's "Lonely Goatherd" yodelling sound on her "Wind It Up" track in 2006, with Rodgers and Hammerstein only receiving 50% of the royalties.

Read the full report over at nytimes.com. Ariana Grande will play London's O2 Arena on 17, 19 and 20 August. Find out more.