Beyoncé Faces Renewed Copyright Lawsuit Over Alien Superstar Sample

Beyoncé and her label, Parkwood Entertainment, are facing a renewed copyright lawsuit over the spoken-word introduction to her 2022 hit song "Alien Superstar." The legal action, filed in California Central District Court, centers on allegations that the track samples a recording from a song called "Moonraker" without proper authorization from the rights holder.

The plaintiff, Hirose Enterprise and its principal, producer Shuji Hirose, claims it owns the rights to the sampled material. According to the lawsuit, the sample used is the spoken-word intro that opens "Alien Superstar," which begins with the lines, "Please do not be alarmed, remain calm. Do not attempt to leave the dancefloor." The complaint states that Beyoncé's team did not secure a license before the album's release but later obtained one approximately six weeks after "Renaissance" was already available. However, that license was granted by John Holiday, the original performer of "Moonraker."

The core of the dispute is that Hirose asserts Holiday transferred his entire interest in "Moonraker" decades ago, meaning he no longer had the legal authority to grant permission for the sample. The lawsuit alleges that Hirose...