Beyoncé has received a copyright lawsuit over 'Break My Soul', although the infringement does not stem directly from the 'RENAISSANCE' hit. It was a New Orleans band called Da Showstoppaz that decided to press charges against the 'Cowboy Carter' singer, all because of the sample that appears in the song.
The origin of the problem is in the vocal sample of the song 'Explode' (2014), by Big Freedia, which appears repeatedly in 'Break My Soul'. Specifically, the part that says “release now wiggle.” The plaintiff band has stated that Big Freedia stole some of the lyrics from their song 'Release A Wiggle', released in 2002. Although Beyoncé sampled Big Freedia legally, this has caught her by surprise.
The members of Da Showstoppaz allege that 'Explode' took the lyrics, melodies and arrangements from their own song, which makes their appearance on 'Break My Soul' also prejudiced. In the legal document, in addition to Beyoncé and Big Freedia, Jay-Z and Sony Music are also listed as defendants. Da Showstoppaz ask to appear in the credits of the song and compensation for 'Break My Soul' and 'Explode', as well as royalties for future licenses of both songs.
«The defendants used the words, melody and musical arrangements of the plaintiffs to create an album as a tribute to 'Uncle Johnny' that exposed the music and culture of the LGTBQ community of New Orleans, with which three members are strongly associated of the group, in all its splendor: the tone, the words, the melody and the arrangements of bounce music,” reads the lawsuit collected by Rolling Stone.
