Beyoncé

A dispute concerns the spoken introduction to 'Alien Superstar', drawn from Foremost Poets' track 'Moonraker'. A first action against Parkwood and other companies was dismissed in June 2026 because the claimant entity did not yet legally exist when the action was brought. The judge did not rule on the merits. On 10 August 2026, Shuji Hirose and a new entity refiled a complaint, this time naming Beyoncé among the defendants.

Attribution

Accused

New Orleans group Da Showstoppaz sued Beyoncé, Big Freedia and other defendants, alleging that 'Break My Soul' indirectly incorporated elements of their song 'Release A Wiggle' through the properly licensed sample of Big Freedia's 'Explode'.

Attribution

Accused

Beyoncé's first concert in more than four years took place at the opening of Atlantis The Royal in Dubai. The choice was strongly criticised by some fans and campaigners because homosexuality is criminalised in the United Arab Emirates and because of criticism of workers' rights, while 'Renaissance' had been presented as a tribute to Black queer cultures.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

The song 'Heated', on the album 'Renaissance', contained a term regarded as an ableist slur in the United Kingdom and Australia. Disability rights campaigners and organisations criticised its use.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Kelis complained that she was not consulted before an interpolation reminiscent of 'Milkshake' was used in 'Energy', going so far as to describe it as 'thievery'. Beyoncé subsequently removed the interpolation from streaming versions.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

The Tiffany campaign featuring Beyoncé and Jay-Z with the jewellery house's famous yellow diamond and a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting prompted criticism concerning the colonial history of diamonds and commercial exploitation of an artist known for criticising wealth and capitalism.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

The estate of Anthony 'Messy Mya' Barré sued Beyoncé and several companies, seeking, among other things, $20 million for use of clips from his videos in 'Formation'. An initial defence motion to dismiss was largely denied.

Attribution

Accused

The 'Formation' video and Beyoncé's Super Bowl performance, featuring references to police brutality and the Black Panther Party, led some police unions to call for boycotts of her concerts and accuse her of delivering an anti-police message.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Monika Juhasz Miczura, known as Mitsou, sued Beyoncé and other defendants, alleging that her voice had been sampled and manipulated without authorisation in 'Drunk in Love'. She relied in particular on New York State rights concerning image and voice.

Attribution

Accused

Following Barack Obama's inauguration, controversy arose over Beyoncé's use of a pre-recorded vocal track for the national anthem. She subsequently confirmed that she had sung along with the track at the ceremony.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker accused the 'Countdown' video of directly reproducing sequences from 'Rosas danst Rosas' and 'Achterland' without prior authorisation.

State of the evidence

Alleged

Attribution

Directly implicated