(CelebrityAccess) — As Ariana Grande’s latest hit “7 Rings” returns to the top of the Billboard singles chart this week, the administrators and beneficiaries of the Estate of Rodgers and Hammerstein are cheering.
According to the New York Times, Grande’s hit, which is an extended reimagining of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic “My Favorite Things” from “The Sound of Music,” has been streamed more than 1 billion times since it debuted in January.
The song, which is credited to a total of 10 writers, is primarily controlled by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, who control 90 percent of the songwriting royalties for the composition.
Per the Times, the deal to use the song was struck quickly, just a few weeks before the track was released. Grande, and her label Republic brought the song to Concord, which has represented the Rodgers and Hammerstein catalog since 2017. Concord requested 90 percent of Grande’s version of the song, which Grande’s team agreed to without further negotiation.
Theodore S. Chapin, the executive who has managed Rodgers and Hammerstein’s copyrights, told the Times that he was initially unsure about Grande’s version of the song, which is a little less focused on the innocent joys of life, but he quickly came around, realizing that Grande’s music would be a vehicle to keep the original song relevant with young audiences.
