Beyoncé is facing a new lawsuit over her hit song “Break My Soul.”
According to Billboard a new complaint alleges the 42-year-old singer, along with her record label Sony Music and other parties, are facing a lawsuit from the New Orleans-based group Da Showstoppaz. The group claims that Beyoncé infringed on their 2002 song “Release a Wiggle” with her 2022 single “Break My Soul” by sampling Big Freedia’s 2014 song “Explode.” Big Freedia is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit after Da Showstoppaz accused Freedia of illegally lifting key lyrics from their song to create “Explode.”
“While Mrs. Carter…and others have received many accolades and substantial profits…Da Showstoppaz’s have received nothing—no acknowledgment, no credit, no remuneration of any kind,” wrote the group’s attorneys, according to Billboard. The legal reps for of Showstoppaz also argue that the use of these phrases by Big Freedia in their single “Explode” violates the group’s copyrights and has contributed to the artist’s fame without giving them credit.
“The infringing phrase ‘release yo’ wiggle’ and several other substantially similar phrases are featured prominently in the song and evenly spread out across Explode’s two-minute and forty-seven second runtime,” the lawyers added. “Any reasonable person listening to ‘Release A Wiggle’ and ‘Explode’ would conclude that the songs are substantially similar.”
Billboard also points out that copyright law generally does not protect “short, simple phrases,” and that a court could potentially dismiss the case on these grounds. However, Da Showstoppaz’ legal team remains confident in their case, asserting that they hold a copyright to their unique and distinctive lyrics that they claim were used without permission by Freedia.
“The coined term and phrase ‘release a/yo wiggle’ has now become closely synonymous with Big Freedia, thereby contributing to Big Freedia’s fame,” wrote the lawyers further into the suit. “However, Big Fredia did not compose or write the phrase, and Big Freedia never credited Da Showstoppaz as the source.”
Da Showstoppaz state that they were made aware of Big Freedia’s “Explode” through Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul.” They further claim that they reached out to Beyoncé and other involved parties regarding the alleged infringement, but did not receive a response.
The post New Orleans Group Files Lawsuit Against Beyoncé Over “Break My Soul” Sample appeared first on Hollywood Unlocked .