Is Beyoncé's song Break My Soul stolen?

Beyoncé is being accused of copyright infringement in a new lawsuit targeting her hit song Break My Soul, which topped the charts in the US.

It is alleged that the song contains "significant inspiration" from the track Explode by New Orleans vocalist Big Freedia.

In the lawsuit, Beyoncé, Big Freedia, Jay-Z, and Sony Music are named as defendants.

The accusation states, "The defendants have used the plaintiffs' lyrics, melody, and musical arrangement from their copyrighted works. Any reasonable person listening to Release a Wiggle and Explode would conclude that the songs are substantially similar."

Explode was relatively little-known outside of bounce music listeners after its release in 2014, but its inclusion in Break My Soul brought it more attention.

Beyoncé's track reached the top of the US charts and became one of the cornerstones of her world tour.