Beyoncé has been dragged into a copyright dispute involving her hit song “Alien Superstar.” A music company and producer sued the singer over an alleged unauthorized sample. The legal claim reportedly involved a spoken-word portion from another song. The dispute centered on rights to the sample used on her Renaissance album.
Beyoncé faces legal claims over the sample used in ‘Alien Superstar’
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Hirose Enterprise filed the lawsuit. Producer Shuji Hirose was also named as a plaintiff in the case. The defendants reportedly included Beyoncé and several music companies.
Hirose Enterprise claimed it owned rights to a song called “Moonraker.” The song was performed by musician John Holiday. According to the company, Beyoncé used part of the recording.
The alleged sample involved the “spoken-word introduction” featured in “Alien Superstar.” The track appeared on Beyoncé’s 2022 album Renaissance. The lawsuit claimed the sample was used without proper authorization.
The lawsuit claimed Beyoncé’s team did not secure a license before releasing the album. According to Hirose, a license was obtained weeks after Renaissance arrived. However, the company claimed that license came only from Holiday.
Hirose reportedly argued Holiday no longer controlled the relevant rights. The company claimed Holiday had transferred his entire interest decades earlier. That transfer allegedly meant he could not authorize the sample independently.
Hirose said it notified Beyoncé’s company about the alleged infringement. The company claimed the record continued to be sold despite the warning. It subsequently sought legal intervention through the court.
The plaintiffs reportedly requested an injunction against continued use of the work. They also sought unspecified damages from Beyoncé and the other defendants. The legal action could therefore affect future exploitation of the recording.
The case added a new legal complication surrounding the popular Renaissance track. However, the allegations remained claims presented by the plaintiffs. Beyoncé’s side had not been reported as publicly addressing the lawsuit.
The Beyoncé Alien Superstar dispute now puts the song’s sample right under scrutiny. The court fight could determine whether the alleged use was properly authorized.
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