Beyonce, Sony Music and her husband look set to end up in court after being sued over copyright for her success “Break My Soul”according to a group in New Orleans.

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in federal court in Louisiana, members of Da Showstoppaz accuse the artist of “stealing” some words from their song “Release A Wiggle” of 2002 and used them to great success “Break My Soul”which spent two weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022.

The group claims Beyonce violated copyright law by legally using New Orleans rapper Big Freedia’s 2014 song “Explode.” Big Freedia was born 40 years ago as Freddie Ross. And yes, even though Big Freedia is gay and not transgender, that feminine pronoun is intentional. This track, the group says, “illegally borrowed several key lyrics from their song.”

“While Beyonce and other artists have received many accolades and significant earnings … Da Showstoppaz have received nothing, no recognition, no remuneration of any kind,” noted lawyers representing the group.

After the song’s release, Big Freedia thanked “Queen Beyonce” and said she was honored to be a part of this special moment. At the center of the new controversy is the phrase “release yo wiggle” and various related variations, which Da Showstoppaz call “one-liners”, which they coined in their song.

According to the lawsuit, Da Showstoppaz first learned about Big Freedia’s song when they heard “Break My Soul.” They say they notified Beyonce of the theft last month, but she refused to get a license. Representatives for Beyonce and Sony Music have so far not taken a position on the issue.