Beyoncé is being sued for copyright infringement over the sampling of her 2022 smash hit “Break My Soul.”
Members of Da Showstoppers filed the lawsuit in Louisiana federal court on Wednesday, alleging that Big Freedia's 2014 song “Explode,” which was sampled on the album “Break My Soul,” illegally uses “copyrighted lyrics, melody and musical arrangements” from their 2002 song “Release a Wiggle.”
Members Tessa Avi, Keba Bourgeois, Henry Braggs, and Brian Clark are suing Beyoncé, her husband Jay-Z, Big Freedia, Sony Music, and others.
“Explode has infringed Da Showstoppaz's Release A Wiggle 12 times. The infringing phrase 'release yo' wiggle' and several other substantially similar phrases are prominently used in the song. , evenly distributed throughout Explode's blistering 2 minutes and 47 seconds of playtime,” the complaint states, according to USA Today. “Any rational person who listened to Release A Wiggle and his Explode would conclude that the two songs are substantially similar.”
Bounce Group claims that despite the defendants making millions from “Break My Soul,” Beyonce's “Renaissance” album, her Renaissance World Tour and the subsequent concert film, they “have never received any acknowledgement, credit or compensation whatsoever.”
Da Showstoppaz is credited on both Explode and Break My Soul and hopes to receive future royalties on both songs. They are also seeking damages related to profits Beyoncé and Big Freedia have already made from the track.