Bring The Action: Will.i.am & Britney Spears Lose Legal Battle Over “Scream & Shout”

Britney Spears and Will.i.am lost a long-standing legal battle over their 2012 hit “Scream & Shout.” The duo have been embroiled in a five-year lawsuit with singer/songwriter Tulisa Contostavlos who claimed she was uncredited for writing on the song. She reported that the single was originally titled “I Don’t Give A Fuck” and was meant for inclusion on her debut LP, The Female Boss. Instead, producers took the track from her and signed on Brit for the featured contribution. Upon its release, the anthem stormed the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked in the top 3. Yesterday (April 4), it was revealed that she had won her case and would be reaping a reward.

Tulisa will now be entitled to 10 percent of the publishing rights and income for the track. Due to the legal battle, funds have been locked since 2012, according to NME. This will result in a sizable payout for her as well as all other artists involved with the release. The legal case has unveiled some additional insight into the creation of the track. Most notably, it was revealed that Britney’s vocals were mixed with Tulisa’s original vocal line.

Interestingly enough, Will.i.am has previously admitted that the artist had been involved in the track’s creation. “Tulisa wrote to that song before I did – this is the truth. But the producers of the beat … didn’t want her to have it,” he admitted. It is confusing why he and the rest of his team opted against giving her credit for her contribution. Doing so likely could have avoided this long battle. A source for Metro opened up about the artist’s feelings about the case.

“Tulisa was annoyed when the song was taken from her and given to Britney – especially as she co-wrote it. It was set to be one of the big songs on her debut album. She didn’t let it lie, and took it all the way to the courts and has now won. She just wanted to be recognised as the writer of one of the biggest pop tracks of the last decade.” Revisit the anthem below.

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