Beyoncé and JAY-Z are facing a copyright infringement lawsuit concerning Beyoncé’s hit song “Break My Soul” from her Renaissance album.
According to legal documents obtained on May 22, a group named Da Showstoppaz claims that “Break My Soul” unlawfully uses elements from their 2002 song “Release A Wiggle.” Big Freedia is also implicated in the lawsuit due to her song “Explode” being sampled in “Break My Soul,” where the alleged infringement originates.
The plaintiffs, Tessa Avie, Keva Bourgeois, Henri Braggs, and Brian Clark, allege that their unique phrases, melody, and musical arrangement were used without permission, credit, or compensation. They are seeking unspecified damages, royalties, and appropriate credits for their contributions.
In other news, Beyoncé’s album Cowboy Carter has surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify since its release in March. This milestone was confirmed by Chart Data earlier this month, making it a major success.
The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 407,000 equivalent album units in its first week—marking the biggest sales week of 2024 at the time. Subsequently, Taylor Swift surpassed this record with her latest release.
Cowboy Carter also achieved impressive chart success, with 23 of its 27 tracks landing on the Billboard Hot 100, increasing Beyoncé’s total Hot 100 entries to 106. This makes her the 17th artist and the third woman to exceed 100 entries since the chart’s inception in 1958.
Notable Tracks from Cowboy Carter
The standout tracks from Cowboy Carter include the former chart-topper “Texas Hold ‘Em” at No. 2, “II Most Wanted” featuring Miley Cyrus at No. 6, and Beyoncé’s cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” at No. 7. Additionally, ten other songs from the album reached the Top 50, including collaborations with Post Malone on “Levii’s Jeans,” “Bodyguard,” and a cover of The Beatles’ “Blackbird.”
The success of “Levii’s Jeans” also benefited Levi Strauss & Co., prompting the company to change its Instagram handle to match the song’s title.
