Beyoncé and Big Freedia are facing a copyright infringement lawsuit from New Orleans bounce group Da Showstoppaz over alleged unauthorized use of elements from their 2002 song "Release a Wiggle" in both "Explode" and "Break My Soul."

The lawsuit, filed in Louisiana federal court, claims that Big Freedia's 2014 song "Explode" copied phrases from "Release a Wiggle" twelve times, including the prominent line "release yo' wiggle." The complaint extends to Beyoncé's "Break My Soul," which samples "Explode" and, by extension, allegedly uses elements from Da Showstoppaz's original work without permission.

Key details of the case:

• Da Showstoppaz recorded "Release a Wiggle" in July 2002 for a local mixtape
• The group uploaded the original version to YouTube in March 2014
• The plaintiffs registered their copyright for both the composition and recording in 2022-2023
• The lawsuit names multiple defendants, including Jay-Z, Sony Music, and Kobalt

The plaintiffs attempted to resolve the matter outside of court before filing the lawsuit. They argue that "any reasonable person listening to 'Release A Wiggle' and 'Explode' would conclude that the songs are substantially similar."

This case joins recent music copyright disputes, including a recently settled Universal Music lawsuit over a Kanye West sample and a Daddy Yankee infringement suit regarding "Bailar Contigo."

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