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 two tracks: "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." Subsequently, Beyoncé's "Break My Soul" from her Renaissance album sampled "Explode," thus incorporating the allegedly infringing elements.

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
• Big Freedia released "Explode" afterward, allegedly using similar phrases without permission
• Beyoncé's "Break My Soul" (2022) sampled Big Freedia's "Explode"
• The plaintiffs registered their copyright for "Release a Wiggle" in 2022-2023

The lawsuit names multiple defendants including:

• Beyoncé
• Big Freedia
• Jay-Z
• Sony Music
• Kobalt

The plaintiffs attempted to resolve the matter outside court before filing the lawsuit. This case joins recent music copyright disputes, including a settled Universal Music case involving Kanye West and a Daddy Yankee infringement suit over "Bailar Contigo."

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