Sara Bareilles credits Katy Perry controversy for success of her song 'Brave'

Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Sara Bareilles surprised industry observers when her relatively understated fourth studio album, The Blessed Unrest, received a Grammy nod for Album of the Year. But the 34-year-old singer-songwriter said she owes some of the attention to Katy Perry, whose song, "Roar," generated comparisons to Bareilles' single "Brave."

"I mean, I can't say that I think that they don't sound similar," Bareilles told CBS Sunday Morning. "I've known Katy a really long time and we're friends. And at the end of the day, it was really only good for my song. So, thank you, Katy Perry for that!"

Bareilles brushed off the controversy earlier this year, saying that she only benefitted from the similarities.

"I was stoked. I was like, 'Great,'" she said. "I was like, 'You guys want to go get [mad] about something and buy my music, that's great.'"