Singer Chloe Bailey (aka Chlöe) is facing a major legal battle over her 2024 album Trouble In Paradise. The R&B star, known for her viral hit Have Mercy, has been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit alleging that three tracks—Favorite, Might As Well, and Same Lingerie—include lyrics written by songwriter and producer Melvin Moore, aka 4Rest, without proper credit or compensation.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the lawsuit claims that Bailey and her team, including Parkwood Entertainment, Columbia Records, and Sony Music, fraudulently registered the songs under their names despite being informed of 4Rest’s contributions. “The lyrical contributions to the works by [4Rest] were deeply personal and inspired by his lived experiences, making the unauthorized commercial exploitation of the works even more egregious,” the complaint states. The lawsuit demands U$5 million in punitive damages per song, totalling U$15 million, in addition to statutory and actual damages.
While Trouble In Paradise didn’t dominate the charts, it has gained traction on streaming platforms. Favorite has amassed 3.1 million Spotify streams, while Might As Well and Same Lingerie have 635,000 and 620,000, respectively. 4Rest, a Grammy-nominated songwriter who has worked with artists like Nicki Minaj, Drake, and BTS, claims he only discovered his material had been used shortly before the album’s release. His lawyer contacted Bailey’s legal team on August 8, but according to the lawsuit, they were instructed to settle the matter with producer BongoByTheWay instead.
The lawsuit also accuses the defendants of “fraudulent misrepresentation” and “civil conspiracy,” alleging they deliberately excluded 4Rest from negotiations over royalties and ownership. In January, he issued a cease-and-desist notice, which was reportedly ignored. If successful, this case could set a precedent for how labels handle songwriting disputes, especially in an industry where song credits are increasingly scrutinized. Neither Bailey nor her legal team have publicly responded to the allegations, leaving fans and industry insiders watching closely to see how this unfolds.
