If you’ve been following the Beyoncé vs. Kelly Clarkson soundalike story, then you know that songwriter/producer Ryan Tedder is the guy right at its center. This afternoon, Tedder issued a statement via TMZ, responding to the charge that “Halo” and “Already Gone” are one and the same song:

“They are two entirely different songs conceptually, melodically, & 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 & absurd. 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 heart-breaking performance on a song she helped write. I challenge people to listen and form their own opinions.”

Tedder also said he feels “Already Gone” is “one of the best song [sic] I’ve ever written or produced since ‘Bleeding Love’ and stands tall on it’s [sic] own merits apart from ‘Halo.'”

That settles it, doesn’t it? Well, I point the finger at Jesse McCartney, who co-wrote and produced “Bleeding Love” with Tedder for Leona Lewis, but had no hand in either “Halo” or “Already Gone.” Maybe Tedder should invite McCartney over to keep things fresh.

Anyway, if you’ve already got Beyoncé’s “Halo,” you can take Tedder up on his audio challenge by grabbing a free download of Kelly Clarkson’s “Already Gone,” thanks to the kind folks at Toyota.