Beyoncé lawsuit over ‘Break My Soul’ samples dropped by New Orleans bounce group

(WVUE) - A lawsuit against Beyoncé and Sony Music over samples in her song “Break My Soul” has been dropped less than three months after it was filed, according to Billboard.

The case involved Da Showstoppaz, a group from New Orleans that claimed Beyoncé used their music without permission despite her legally clearing the actual sample.

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Court documents did not mention any settlement, indicating the case may have been dropped unilaterally. Neither side responded to requests for comment about the case’s withdrawal.

The lawsuit, filed in May, accused Beyoncé (Beyoncé Knowles Carter) of using parts of their 2002 song “Release A Wiggle” in “Break My Soul,” which spent two weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022.

The group did not claim that Beyoncé copied their work directly but argued that she sampled the 2014 song “Explode” by New Orleans rapper Big Freedia, which allegedly borrowed key lyrics from their song.

The allegations focused on phrases like “release yo wiggle,” which Da Showstoppaz claimed were original to their song. They argued that Big Freedia, a rapper in New Orleans’ bounce music scene, infringed their rights by using similar phrases in “Explode.”

“Explode” was one of several samples on “Break My Soul,” which also used Robin S’s song “Show Me Love.” After the song’s release, Big Freedia thanked “Queen Beyoncé” and said she was honored to be a part of the moment.

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