Pop superstar Lizzo is embroiled in fresh legal troubles as she faces allegations of copyright infringement over her 2025 track “I’m Goin’ In Till October,” also known as “Good Jeans,” according to court documents.
The GRC Trust has filed a lawsuit against the “About Damn Time” singer and her record label, Atlantic Records, claiming the artist illegally sampled and incorporated elements from an original composition titled “Win or Lose (We Tried)” that the trust owns the rights to.
According to the complaint, Lizzo’s track—which gained significant traction on TikTok and Instagram earlier this year—allegedly lifts both instrumental and vocal components from the copyrighted work without obtaining proper authorization. The trust asserts that the similarities between the two compositions are not coincidental.
Court filings reveal that both parties had engaged in discussions to negotiate a licensing agreement that would have allowed Lizzo to legally sample the material. However, those negotiations reportedly broke down without resolving, yet the song was released on social media platforms regardless.
In response to the lawsuit, a representative for Lizzo pushed back against the claims, expressing surprise at the legal action. The spokesperson emphasized a crucial point: “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 distinction could prove significant in court, as the legal implications of using copyrighted material in non-monetized social media content versus commercial releases can differ substantially.
The GRC Trust is seeking monetary damages and, perhaps more significantly, an injunction that would prevent any further use or exploitation of the disputed composition. The lawsuit specifically alleges that both Lizzo and Atlantic Records knowingly used the copyrighted material for commercial gain without securing the necessary license—a claim that could carry serious legal consequences if proven.
This isn’t the first time Lizzo has found herself in hot water over songwriting credits and alleged appropriation. The artist previously faced controversy surrounding her breakthrough 2019 hit “Truth Hurts,” which sparked a multi-pronged dispute.
In that case, producers came forward claiming co-writing credits on the track. Separately, singer Mina Lioness alleged that Lizzo had lifted the song’s viral catchphrase—”I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m 100% that b*tch”—from a tweet Lioness had posted in 2017. Lizzo eventually resolved that dispute by granting Mina Lioness songwriting credit on the track.
The recurring nature of these disputes raises questions about the creative process and proper attribution in the age of social media, where viral phrases, sounds, and melodies spread rapidly across platforms, sometimes blurring the lines of original authorship.
As the case moves forward, legal experts will be watching closely to see how courts handle questions of copyright in the context of social media releases that straddle the line between promotional content and commercial exploitation. The outcome could have broader implications for how artists use and share music on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where songs often gain massive audiences before any official commercial release.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Lizzo is being sued by the GRC Trust for allegedly sampling their song “Win or Lose (We Tried)” without permission in her 2025 viral TikTok track “I’m Goin’ In Till October.” While negotiations for a licensing deal reportedly failed, Lizzo’s team maintains the song was never commercially released or monetized.
This marks the second major copyright controversy for the artist, following a similar dispute over her 2019 hit “Truth Hurts” that she ultimately resolved by granting songwriting credits. The outcome could set important precedents for how copyright law applies to unreleased music shared on social media platforms.
