54 Sampling controversies

"Addictive" is a song by American R&B singer Truth Hurts. It was released as the lead single from her debut album, Truthfully Speaking (2002), on April 1, 2002. "Addictive" features a verse from hip-hop rapper Rakim and is based on a Hindi music sample, which eventually brought on a $500 million lawsuit against Aftermath. The song was her only one to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number nine, and selling over 600,000 copies in the US. It was also a top five hit in UK, France and Switzerland, and went gold in several countries. The song instrumental was sampled in the Jamaican dancehall beat "Bollywood Riddim".

"Ain't No Other Man" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her fifth studio album Back to Basics (2006). Aguilera co-wrote the song with Kara DioGuardi, Charles Martin Roane, Harold Beatty and producer DJ Premier. "Ain't No Other Man" is a pop, funk and R&B song that incorporates elements of soul, blues and jazz music. Lyrically, the song was inspired by her marriage to Jordan Bratman in 2005.

"All I Have" is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez, featuring American rapper LL Cool J. Written by Lopez, Makeba Riddick, Curtis Richardson, and Ron G and produced by Cory Rooney, Ron G, and Dave McPherson, it was released on December 14, 2002, as the second single from Lopez's third studio album, This Is Me... Then (2002).

"Amarte Es un Placer" is a song recorded by Mexican singer Luis Miguel and the fourth and final single from his album of the same name (1999). Released in 2000, it was written by Juan Carlos Calderón, while production was handled by Miguel. Lyrically, "Amarte Es un Placer" deals with a narrator describing the pleasures of being enamored with his lover.

American Edit is a mashup album released by Party Ben and Team9 under the shared alias Dean Gray. Its primary basis is the Green Day album American Idiot—the name "Dean Gray" is a spoonerism of "Green Day".

"Bang Bang" is a song recorded by American producer and rapper will.i.am featuring the vocals of Shelby Spalione. The single features as the third track on the soundtrack album of the 2013 Baz Luhrmann film The Great Gatsby. "Bang Bang" is also featured on the deluxe edition of will.i.am's fourth studio album #willpower. "Bang Bang" peaked within the top ten of the charts in Belgium (Wallonia) and the United Kingdom. In the latter country, will.i.am is a coach on The Voice UK, and an alternate version of the song featuring vocals from Leah McFall ― the runner-up on season two of the show ― is included on the compilation Now 86.

"Belong to the World" is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd from his debut studio album Kiss Land (2013). The song was released as the album's second single on July 16, 2013.

"Big Pimpin'" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on April 11, 2000 as the third and final single from his fourth studio album Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (1999). It features a guest appearance from Southern hip hop group UGK, and production from Timbaland.

"Bitter Sweet Symphony" is a song recorded by English rock band the Verve as the lead track on their third studio album, Urban Hymns (1997). The song was released on 16 June 1997 by Hut Recordings and Virgin Records as the first single from the album, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart and remaining in the chart for three months. It is based on a sample from the Andrew Loog Oldham orchestral cover of the Rolling Stones' song "The Last Time" and involved some legal controversy surrounding a plagiarism charge. As a result, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were added to the songwriting credits, and all royalties from the song went to former Rolling Stones manager Allen Klein. In April 2019, Jagger and Richards ceded their rights to the song to the Verve's songwriter Richard Ashcroft.

Chinese Democracy is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released on November 23, 2008 by Black Frog and Geffen Records. It was the first Guns N' Roses studio album since the 1993 covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?", and their first album of original studio material since Use Your Illusion I and II (1991). It was the first Guns N' Roses album without their longtime producer Mike Clink; instead, it was produced by singer Axl Rose and Caram Costanzo. It underwent a protracted recording process, delayed by personnel and legal problems and Rose's perfectionism.

"Collide" is a song performed by British recording artist Leona Lewis and Swedish DJ and record producer Avicii. It was written by Tim Bergling, Simon Jeffes, Arash Pournouri, Autumn Rowe, Sandy Wilhelm, with production helmed by Wilhelm under his production name Sandy Vee and Youngboyz. "Collide" is a house-inspired love song with instrumentation consisting of piano riffs and a guitar. The song was recorded for Lewis' third studio album Glassheart, but was not included on the album's final track listing.

Culturcide was an American, Houston-based experimental punk band, active from 1980 to 1990 and from 1993 to the present day. They were notorious for their 1986 album Tacky Souvenirs of Pre-Revolutionary America, which earned the band a cult following, but also several legal threats.

"Don't Stop the Music" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007). It was released worldwide on September 7, 2007, as the album's fourth single. The song was written by Tawanna Dabney and its producers StarGate. Michael Jackson also received a songwriting credit for the sampling of the line "Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa" from Jackson's 1983 single "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". Both Rihanna and Jackson were sued by Cameroonian musician Manu Dibango, who asserted that the hook originated in his 1972 song "Soul Makossa". "Don't Stop the Music" is a dance track that features rhythmic devices used primarily in hip hop music.

"Drunk in Love" is a song by American singer Beyoncé featuring her husband, American rapper Jay-Z. The duo composed the song along with credited production and writing by Detail, Andre Eric Proctor, Rasool Diaz, Brian Soko, Timbaland, J-Roc and Boots for self-titled fifth studio album (2013). Columbia Records released "Drunk in Love" as one of the two lead singles from Beyoncé on December 17, 2013. The song was dominated by trap beats in chunks and bass. Its lyrics, which depict female sexuality, are sung by Beyoncé in a sensual and confident way.

"Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall" is a song by British rock band Coldplay, it was released as the lead single for their fifth studio album Mylo Xyloto on 3 June 2011. An exclusive digital EP version of it, with the B-sides "Major Minus" and "Moving to Mars", came out in the following weeks, being considered the band's eighth extended play. The track contains elements of the 1976 song "I Go to Rio" written by Peter Allen and Adrienne Anderson. It debuted at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, selling 85,000 copies in its first week before climbing to its peak of number 14. On the UK Singles Chart, the song peaked at number 6.

"Formation" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her sixth studio album Lemonade (2016). It was written by Beyoncé, Mike WiLL Made-It, Swae Lee, and Pluss, and produced by Mike Will and Beyoncé. It served as the album's lead single, surprise-released on February 6, 2016 through Parkwood Entertainment. "Formation" is an R&B song with trap and bounce influences, in which Beyoncé celebrates her culture, identity and success as a black woman from the US South.

"Gold Digger" is a song recorded by American rapper Kanye West featuring guest vocals by Jamie Foxx. Released as the second single from West's second album, Late Registration (2005), "Gold Digger" peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on September 6, 2005, becoming West's and Foxx's second number one single. Co-produced with Jon Brion, the song contains samples of Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman".

Grand Upright Music, Ltd v. Warner Bros. Records Inc., 780 F. Supp. 182, was a copyright case heard by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan sued rapper Biz Markie after Markie sampled O'Sullivan's song "Alone Again (Naturally)". The court ruled that sampling without permission constitutes copyright infringement. The judgment changed the hip hop music industry, requiring that any future music sampling be approved by the original copyright owners.

"Harlem Shake" is a song recorded by American DJ and producer Baauer. It was released as his debut single on May 22, 2012, by Mad Decent imprint label Jeffree's. The uptempo song—variously described as trap, hip hop or bass music—incorporates a mechanical bassline, Dutch house synth riffs, a dance music drop, and samples of growling-lion sounds. It also samples Plastic Little's 2001 song "Miller Time", specifically the vocal "then do the Harlem shake", which is an allusion to the dance of the same name. Baauer added a variety of peculiar sounds to the song so that it would stand out.

"Hips Don't Lie" is a song by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, featuring Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean for the reissue of Shakira's seventh studio album, Oral Fixation, Vol. 2. It was released in 2006, by Epic Records as the second single from the album. The song was written and produced by Shakira, Jean, and LaTavia Parker. "Hips Don't Lie" is a Latin pop and reggaeton song which heavily incorporates samples from Jean's earlier single "Dance Like This" and "Amores Como el Nuestro" written by Omar Alfanno and performed by Jerry Rivera.

"I Got It from My Mama" is a hip hop song by American rapper will.i.am. The uncredited female vocals in the song are from singer Kat Graham. It was released as the lead single from will.i.am's third solo album, Songs About Girls. It's primarily about the inheritance of sexual attractiveness of women through their mother's genetics. The song contains samples of "Don Quichotte" by Magazine 60 and "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" by Bob James; Magazine 60 group members Jean-Luc Drion and Dominique Régiacorte are credited as co-writers on "I Got It from My Mama".

I Need a Haircut is the third studio album by Biz Markie. It was released on August 27, 1991, on Cold Chillin'/Warner Bros. Records, and was produced by Biz Markie. The album was a minor success, making it to #113 on the Billboard 200 and #44 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

"I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is a song written and performed by the English singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw. It was his first single, released in 1983 to little success, but was re-released in 1984 and became his highest charting hit in the UK, peaking at no. 2 there. The song was included on Kershaw's debut album Human Racing.

"I'm Real" is the name of two songs recorded by American actress and singer Jennifer Lopez, both primarily for her second studio album J.Lo (2001). The original version was released as the album's fourth single; Ja Rule of Murder Inc. Records wrote and was featured on a newly-written version of the song titled "I'm Real ", which was featured on a re-issue of J.Lo in July 2001, on Lopez's remix album J to tha L–O! The Remixes (2002), and on Ja Rule's third studio album Pain Is Love (2001).

"Ice Ice Baby" is a hip hop song by American rapper Vanilla Ice, and DJ Earthquake. It was based on the bassline of "Under Pressure" by British rock band Queen and British singer David Bowie, who did not receive songwriting credit or royalties until after it had become a hit. Released on his debut album, To the Extreme, it is his best known song. It has appeared in remixed form on Platinum Underground and Vanilla Ice Is Back! A live version appears on the album Extremely Live, while a nu metal version appears on the album Hard to Swallow, under the title "Too Cold".

"It's Tricky" is the fourth single released from Run-DMC's third album, Raising Hell. It was released early in 1987 through Profile Records and was co-produced by Rick Rubin and the group themselves. The song peaked at No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 21 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In the UK, the song made No. 16 on the UK Singles Chart upon its original release and No. 74 upon being remixed by Jason Nevins in 1998, while Nevins' remix of their song "It's Like That" spent its fifth week at No. 1. Nevins' remix, "(It's) Tricky", achieved top 40 peaks elsewhere in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Two decades after the song's release, The Knack sued Run-DMC on the grounds "It's Tricky" sampled their song "My Sharona" without permission.

"Jenny from the Block" is a song by American singer Jennifer Lopez, which features American rappers Jadakiss and Styles, both members of The LOX. It was released by Epic Records on September 26, 2002, as the lead single from her third studio album This Is Me... Then (2002). The song, first leaked online, was written by Lopez, Troy Oliver, Mr. Deyo, Samuel Barnes, Jean-Claude Olivier and Cory Rooney. Rooney and Oliver, along with Poke & Tone of Trackmasters, produced the song.

K.I.D.S. is the fourth mixtape by American rapper Mac Miller. It was released by Rostrum Records on August 13, 2010, through DatPiff. The title is a play on words, as an acronym for "Kickin' Incredibly Dope Shit" and a reference to the 1995 film Kids, which is quoted throughout the mixtape. It was later commercially released on April 29, 2020. A deluxe version was released on its 10th anniversary and includes two new tracks.

The Letter U and the Numeral 2 is a 96-page magazine and 25-minute CD by Negativland detailing their conflict with the band U2, over Negativland's EP of the same name. It was released in 1992 as a limited edition of 4000 copies. Two months after its release, SST Records blocked its distribution with a lawsuit claiming, among other things, copyright infringement based on reproductions of press releases sent to the press by SST; "in essence, suing the band for printing (their) threat to sue the band". SST's lawsuit is similar to the "Streisand effect".

Loose is the third studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Nelly Furtado, released on June 7, 2006, by Geffen Records and the Mosley Music Group. Following the release of Furtado's second album, Folklore (2003) through DreamWorks Records, it was announced that Universal Music Group would acquire DreamWorks Records, the latter was folded into the Interscope Geffen A&M umbrella where Furtado would release any new music. Recording sessions for the album took place from 2005 to 2006. Timbaland and his protégé Danja produced the bulk of the album, which incorporates influences of dance, R&B, and hip-hop. The album explores the theme of female sexuality and has been described as introspective.

"Loverboy" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on June 19, 2001, by Virgin Records America as the lead single from Glitter (2001). Written and produced by Carey, Larry Blackmon, Thomas Jenkins and Clark Kent, "Loverboy" is built around a sample from "Candy" by the funk band Cameo, who are also featured on the track. Lyrically, the song finds Carey fantasizing about her loverboy, a man that will fulfill her physical and sexual desires. The recording was accompanied by an official remix, titled "Loverboy (Remix)", featuring guest artists Ludacris, Da Brat, Shawnna and Twenty II.

"Lucid Dreams" is a song by American rapper Juice Wrld. It was officially released by Grade A Productions and Interscope Records on May 4, 2018, after previously being released on SoundCloud in June 2017. The song was produced by Nick Mira and debuted at number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number two on the chart. The song has also amassed more than 1.7 billion streams on Spotify, being one of the most streamed songs on the platform. A remix featuring fellow rapper Lil Uzi Vert was recorded in 2018 but remained unreleased due to sample clearance issues. The remix leaked online in May 2021 after fans pooled together $12,000 to purchase the song from leakers. On May 28, 2021, the remix was officially released alongside a re-release of Goodbye & Good Riddance that commemorates the album's third anniversary.

Mann is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film written and directed by Indra Kumar. The film starred Aamir Khan and Manisha Koirala, pairing them for the second time, and also features Anil Kapoor, Sharmila Tagore and Neeraj Vora with Rani Mukerji in a special appearance. The film is majorly based on the 1957 American film An Affair To Remember. Mann received positive reviews upon release, but became an average box office success. The soundtrack by Sanjeev–Darshan has been surrounded by music sampling and music plagiarism controversies.

Masters of the Sun Vol. 1 is the seventh studio album by American musical group Black Eyed Peas. A political album loosely inspired by the graphic novel of the same name and the contemporary social climate of the United States, it is a departure from The Black Eyed Peas' electronic dance and pop-influenced albums The E.N.D. and The Beginning, marking a return to the group's hip hop and boom bap style of their early career. The album was Black Eyed Peas' first in eight years, and their first credited as Black Eyed Peas since Bridging the Gap in 2000; The album also marks the first appearance of J. Rey Soul as an official member, following the departure of Fergie in early 2018. Preceded by numerous singles and music videos, Masters of the Sun Vol. 1 was released on October 26, 2018 and it is the last Black Eyed Peas album with longtime label Interscope Records.

"My Humps" is a song performed by American recording group Black Eyed Peas. The song was written and produced by group member will.i.am for their fourth studio album Monkey Business (2005). It was released as the band's third single from the album on September 27, 2005, due in part to the strength of downloads preceding the release. Musically, "My Humps" is a hip hop and dance song that is structured as a duet between will.i.am and Fergie. The song sparked controversy because of its title and lyrics, which center on a woman who uses her breasts and buttocks to accomplish her goals.

Logan Alexander Paul is an American YouTuber and social media personality. In addition to posting on his own YouTube channel, he has run the Impaulsive podcast since November 2018, which currently has over 3 million followers on YouTube.

Nostalgia, Ultra is the debut mixtape by American singer Frank Ocean. It was released on February 16, 2011. Ocean was inspired to make the mixtape after Hurricane Katrina in his native New Orleans and his subsequent relocation to Los Angeles. After joining alternative hip hop group Odd Future in 2010, he self-released the mixtape, without initial promotion. Nostalgia, Ultra has a unique R&B aesthetic and features surreal themes and nostalgic lyrics. The songs mostly focus on interpersonal relationships, personal reflection, and social commentary. Following its release, the mixtape received rave reviews from music critics. The cover features a picture of a bright orange BMW E30 M3, Ocean's "dream car", in plain sight amidst lush greenery.

"Rap God" is a song by American rapper Eminem. The song premiered via YouTube on October 14, 2013, and was released in the United States on October 15, 2013, as the third single from Eminem's eighth studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013). It contains references to previous conflicts in Eminem's career, as well as to other rappers' conduct. The song received critical acclaim, with critics praising Eminem's lyrical ability and rapping speed, amid some accusations of homophobic lyrics.

"Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 hip hop track by the Sugarhill Gang and produced by Sylvia Robinson. Although it was shortly preceded by Fatback Band's "King Tim III ", "Rapper's Delight" is credited for introducing hip hop music to a wide audience, reaching the top 40 in the United States, as well as the top three in the United Kingdom and number-one in Canada. It was a prototype for various types of rap music, incorporating themes such as boasting, dance, honesty and sex, with the charisma and enthusiasm of James Brown. The track interpolates Chic's "Good Times", resulting in Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards suing Sugar Hill Records for copyright infringement; a settlement was reached that gave the two songwriting credits. The track was recorded in a single take. There are five mixes of the song.

Sgt. Petsound's Lonely Hearts Club Band is a track-for-track mash-up of The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds with The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by Clayton Counts, posted on his blog. It was released under the pseudonym "The Beachles" and received favorable mentions in Entertainment Weekly and USA Today, as well as blogs around the world. Sometime around September 8, 2006, Counts received a cease and desist order from EMI's attorneys. Notably, the letter included a demand for Counts to hand over the IP addresses of everyone who downloaded or streamed the songs. Counts removed the songs, but refused to give up the IPs and fired back with a lengthy missive on his blog. The incident drew the attention of the Associated Press and Rolling Stone, and resulted in a letter-writing campaign and a boycott of EMI and Capitol Records on behalf of Counts.

Shhh is the fifth studio album by the band Chumbawamba. It was originally written and recorded as Jesus H. Christ, an album that relied heavily on samples. The band was unable to procure rights to a number of the songs they sampled, however, and the album was largely re-worked to defend artistic intent and criticize censorship. The album sleeve artwork itself incorporated various rejection letters received by the band denying the rights to the Christ samples. "Shhh" is considered by many to be a "genre landmark."

Smells Like Children is the first EP by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on October 24, 1995 by Nothing and Interscope Records. Produced by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, it represents an era of the band full of drugs, abuses, tours, sound experiments, and references to the Child Catcher, a villain from the 1968 musical film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Smoke Some Kill is the third album by rapper Schoolly D. The album was released in 1988 for Jive Records and was produced by Schoolly D.

"Sorry" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Justin Bieber for his fourth studio album, Purpose (2015). Written by Bieber, Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter, Skrillex, and BloodPop; the song was produced by the latter two. It was released on October 22, 2015, as the second single from the album. A dancehall pop, tropical house and moombahton song, "Sorry" contains in its instrumentation "brassy horn bleats", warm island rhythms and a dembow riddim beat. Lyrically, "Sorry" is a plea for a chance to apologize to a lover, with Bieber asking forgiveness and a second chance to redeem himself. Bieber has since said that the lover was Selena Gomez.

"Stereo Love" is a 2009 song recorded by Romanian DJ Edward Maya with Moldovan-Romanian musician Vika Jigulina, released as their debut single in late 2009 from Maya's album, The Stereo Love Show. The refrain is from "Bayatılar", composed by Azerbaijani musician Eldar Mansurov. It became a worldwide hit in nightclubs and rose to the top of eleven national music charts and was certified eight-times Platinum in Norway, seven-times Platinum in Sweden, and Gold or higher in ten additional countries. It also became the second best-selling song from Romania after "Dragostea Din Tei".

"Timber" is a song by American rapper Pitbull featuring American singer Kesha. The song was released on October 7, 2013, as the lead single from Pitbull's extended play (EP) Meltdown EP. The song was produced by Dr. Luke, Cirkut, and Sermstyle, with additional production by Nick Seeley. The song interpolates Lee Oskar's 1978 single "San Francisco Bay" and features harmonica player Paul Harrington, who plays through the entire song and was told to emulate Oskar. The single was ranked as one of the best 100 songs of the decade according to Billboard when it peaked at 90, this would be the only song to enter the decade-end chart as a bonus track on an album for the 2010s.

"The Time Is Now" is a song by professional wrestler and actor John Cena. It is the current entrance theme used by Cena in WWE. Cena recorded the song in 2005 for his debut studio album, You Can't See Me. The song was released on April 9, 2005, as the lead single from the album on Columbia and WWE Music Group. The song was released as a single on the iTunes Store on June 20, 2011.

U2 is a withdrawn EP by the experimental music and sound collage band Negativland, released in 1991. The EP and the band gained notoriety when lawyers representing Island Records, the record label of the band U2, sued over misleading artwork and the use of unauthorized sampling.

"Vogue" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second soundtrack album I'm Breathless (1990). It was released as the first single from the album on March 27, 1990, by Sire Records. Madonna was inspired by vogue dancers and choreographers Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza and Luis Xtravaganza from the Harlem "House Ball" community, the origin of the dance form, and they introduced "vogueing" to her at the Sound Factory club in New York City. "Vogue" is a house song which set trends in dance music in the 1990s with strong influences of 1970s disco within its composition. "Vogue" also contains a spoken section, in which Madonna name-checks various "Golden Age" Hollywood stars. Lyrically, the song is about enjoying oneself on the dance floor no matter who one is and it contains a theme of escapism. "Vogue" has appeared in a remixed form on two of Madonna's greatest hits compilations: The Immaculate Collection (1990) and Celebration (2009).

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson recorded for his sixth studio album Thriller (1982). It is the opening track of the album and was released as its fourth single on May 8, 1983, by Epic Records. It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The lyrics pertain to strangers spreading rumors to start an argument for no good reason. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" evokes the disco sound of Jackson's previous studio album, Off the Wall, released in 1979. The song is characterized by a complex rhythm arrangement and a distinctive horn arrangement.

"We Trying to Stay Alive" is the first single released from Wyclef Jean's debut solo album, The Carnival. The song features raps by John Forté and Pras and samples the 1977 Bee Gees hit "Stayin' Alive" and Audio Two's "Top Billin'" (1987). The video version also contains an interpolation of the main melody of "Trans-Europe Express" by "Kraftwerk". In the US, it reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Additionally, it reached number three on the Hot Rap Songs chart and number 14 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The track reached number 87 on VH1's "100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time".

"What Time Is Love?" is a song released, in different mixes, as a series of singles by the band the KLF. It featured prominently and repeatedly in their output from 1988 to 1992 and, under the moniker of 2K, in 1997. In its original form, the track was an instrumental electronic dance anthem; subsequent reworkings, with vocals and additional instrumentation, yielded the international hit singles "What Time Is Love? " (1990), and "America: What Time Is Love?" (1991), which respectively reached number 5 and number 4 in the UK Singles Chart, and introduced the KLF to a mainstream international audience.

"Wild Thing" is a single by American rapper Tone Lōc from his 1989 album Lōc-ed After Dark. The title is a reference to the phrase "doin' the wild thing," a euphemism for sex. According to producer Mario Caldato Jr., who engineered and mixed the song, producer Michael Ross was inspired by an utterance of Fab 5 Freddy “Come on baby let’s do the wild thing" in Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It, and asked Young MC to write the lyrics.

"XO" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé from her self-titled fifth studio album in 2013. Columbia Records released the song as the lead contemporary hit radio single from the album in the US and Italy on December 16, 2013. Ryan Tedder co-wrote and co-produced "XO" with Terius "The-Dream" Nash and Beyoncé, with additional production handled by Chauncey "Hit-Boy" Hollis and HazeBanga Music. A pure midtempo power pop and R&B love song with electronic influences, "XO" is complete with electronic musical instrumentation, synthesizers and drums. Musically, it was compared to Beyoncé's own song "Halo" and was noted for having several music hooks including its call and response chorus.