Lizzo Sued Over Unreleased Song Referencing Sydney Sweeney

It seems Lizzo’s latest musical tease has landed her in hot water. The superstar is now facing a lawsuit over an unreleased song snippet that referenced actress Sydney Sweeney, and allegedly used an unlicensed sample from a 1970s track.

The Sydney Sweeney Reference

Back in August, Lizzo shared a snippet of a new song on social media. The lyrics included a line poking fun at Sydney Sweeney’s controversial American Eagle ad campaign: “Fat a**, pretty face with the titties / B*tch I got good genes like I’m Sydney.” This reference quickly garnered attention, especially given the backlash Sweeney faced for the ad.

While the song itself has not been commercially released, the group GRC Trust filed a lawsuit against Lizzo on October 21, alleging copyright infringement. The trust claims the snippet illegally used an unlicensed sample from “Win or Lose (We Tried),” a song originally recorded by Sam Dees in the 1970s.

Lizzo’s Team Responds

Lizzo’s team has expressed surprise at the lawsuit. In a statement to Billboard, they clarified, “To be clear, the song has never been commercially released or monetized, and no decision has been made at this time regarding any future commercial release of the song.” This suggests the legal action may be premature, as the track hasn’t even been officially put out.

This situation comes shortly after Lizzo voiced strong opinions about sampling laws on the “Million Dollaz Worth Of Game” podcast. She argued that current regulations unfairly “police Black art,” explaining how sampling was fundamental to the birth of hip-hop. Lizzo feels that labeling sampling as “theft” unfairly targets a core element of Black creative expression.

• The lawsuit alleges copyright infringement over an unlicensed 70s sample.
• Lizzo’s team states the song has not been commercially released or monetized.
• Lizzo has previously spoken out against sampling laws, calling them racially charged.