Tedder "hurt" by Clarkson, Beyoncé claims

OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder has branded allegations that he gave Kelly Clarkson and Beyoncé similar songs as "absurd" and "hurtful".

The songwriter hit the headlines earlier this week, after several blogs claimed that Clarkson's upcoming single 'Already Gone' and Beyoncé's 'Halo', both written by Tedder, were based on the same song.

In a statement to MTV News, he said: "'Already Gone' is one of the best songs I've written or produced since [Leona Lewis's] 'Bleeding Love' and stands tall on its own merits apart from 'Halo'.

"They are two entirely different songs conceptually, melodically and lyrically, and I would never try to dupe an artist such as Kelly Clarkson or Beyoncé into recording over the same musical track. The idea is both hurtful and absurd."

He added: "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 heartbreaking performances on a song she helped write.

"I challenge people to listen and form their own opinions."