The lawsuit centres around New Orleans group Da Showstoppaz and the phrase “release your wiggle.”

Beyoncé and her hit song “Break My Soul” are now a subject of a new lawsuit.

New Orleans based music group Da Showstoppaz have accused Beyoncé of copyright infringement over their 2002 song “Release a Wiggle,” claiming that she illegally lifted lyrics from their track.

“Break My Soul” legally samples the song “Explode” by Big Freedia, with both tracks repeatedly using the phrase “release your wiggle.” Da Showstoppaz’ legal representatives claim that using this phrase without crediting the group is an act of copyright infringement.

Da Showstoppaz members Tessa Avie, Keva Bourgeois, Henri Braggs and Brian Clark are asking for songwriting credits and future royalties.

“Defendants used plaintiffs’ words, melody, and musical arrangement from their copyrighted works … Any reasonable person listening to ‘Release a Wiggle’ and ‘Explode’ would conclude that the songs are substantially similar,” a lawyer for Da Showstoppaz said, per The Guardian.

Beyonce hit with new lawsuit over “Break My Soul” (Image: Getty)

Billboard notes that copyright law typically does not cover “short, simple phrases.”

However, Da Showstoppaz’s representatives state that the group has copyrighted the “unique, distinctive lyrics.”

“The coined term and phrase ‘release a/yo wiggle’ has now become closely synonymous with Big Freedia, thereby contributing to Big Freedia’s fame,” the lawyers also wrote, according to Billboard.

“However, Big Fredia did not compose or write the phrase, and Big Freedia never credited Da Showstoppaz as the source.

Beyonce in New York City February 2024 (Image: Getty)

“Break My Soul” is a single off of Beyoncé’s critically acclaimed 2022 album Renaissance. It reached the number one position on the US Billboard Hot 100 charts, where it remained for two weeks. It was Beyoncé’s first single since 2016, and her first number one hit since “Single Ladies” in 2008.

The plaintiff’s lawyers also commented on the fact that while Beyoncé and Big Freedia have racked in major profit from “Break My Soul,” Da Showstoppaz have not received any financial compensation themselves.

“Mrs Carter, Big Freedia, Parkwood, Sony, and others have received many accolades and substantial profits from ‘Explode’ and ‘Break My Soul’ and the Renaissance album, the ‘Renaissance World Tour,’ and the Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, Da Showstoppaz’s have received nothing — no acknowledgement, no credit, no remuneration of any kind,” the suit also reads.

Big Freedia, Beyoncé’s husband Jay-Z, and Sony music are also named as defendants in the lawsuit.

Beyoncé and Big Fredia have yet to comment on the case.