The lawyers representing Da Showstoppaz have raised concerns over the alleged infringement of their copyrighted phrase, “Release A Wiggle,” in Big Freedia’s song “Explode.” They claim that the phrase is prominently featured in the song and spread evenly throughout its duration, making the songs sound substantially similar. While copyright law generally does not protect short and simple phrases, Da Showstoppaz’s lawyers remain confident in their case and argue that they have a copyright to their unique lyrics that were used without permission by Freedia.
In the lawsuit, Da Showstoppaz’s lawyers assert that the phrase “release a/yo wiggle” has become closely associated with Big Freedia, contributing to her fame. However, they claim that Big Freedia did not create or credit them as the source of the phrase. The group first became aware of the alleged infringement when they heard Big Freedia’s song “Explode” through Beyoncé’s track “Break My Soul.” Despite reaching out to Beyoncé and others regarding the issue, Da Showstoppaz did not receive a response.
Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” served as the surprise lead single for her successful “Renaissance” album. The song, which samples Robin S.’s “Show Me Love,” topped the Hot 100 chart for two weeks, marking Beyoncé’s first solo No. 1 hit in 14 years since “Single Ladies” in 2008.