Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos appears to have retracted his accusation of plagiarism over a new Pharrell Williams-produced track.

We told you at the weekend how Alex had called Pharrell out on Twitter, linking to the Paloma Faith song Can't Rely On You - which was written and produced by Williams.

He wrote: "Hey @Pharrell - I love your tunes. If you want to borrow a riff, just ask..."

The riff from Pharrell's new composition was noted by many listeners to be very similar to the famous guitar line from Franz Ferdinand's breakthrough hit Take Me Out.

But Kapranos now appears to have withdrawn the accusation, making a public apology on Twitter.

He wrote: "@Pharrell Sometimes I forget how easily things can get exaggerated on here. I know you didn't borrow any riffs. Sorry for all the press BS."

@Pharrell Sometimes I forget how easily things can get exaggerated on here. I know you didn't borrow any riffs. Sorry for all the press BS.

— alex kapranos (@alkapranos) February 3, 2014