{
  "id": 9389159,
  "title": "Sam Smith & Normani Must Face Trial in ‘Dancing With a Stranger’ Lawsuit: ‘For the Jury to Decide’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/sam-smith-normani-must-face-trial-in-dancing-with-a-stranger-lawsuit",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T18:33:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Billboard",
    "slug": "billboard",
    "url": "https://www.billboard.com/pro/sam-smith-normani-trial-dancing-with-a-stranger-case/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A judge rules that Sam Smith and Normani must undergo a trial to determine whether their 2019 hit \"Dancing With a Stranger\" infringed on an earlier song by Jordan Vincent. The judge, Wesley L. Hsu, refuses to dismiss the long-running copyright case, stating that the issue of independent creation should be left for the jury to decide. This unusual trial sets the stage for a high-profile courtroom showdown similar to other well-known cases involving song theft allegations. The song in question, \"Dancing With a Stranger,\" reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it one of Smith's biggest hits and Normani's peak spot on the chart. Despite previous attempts to dismiss the case, the accusers were forced to prove that the two songs were strikingly similar to each other.",
  "summary": "Refusing to dismiss a four-year lawsuit over the hit track, a judge set the stage for a rare courtroom showdown in a blockbuster song-theft case.",
  "key_points": [
    "Judge Wesley L. Hsu refuses to dismiss copyright case.",
    "\"Dancing With a Stranger\" peaked at No. 7 on Billboard Hot 100.",
    "Jury to decide if infringement occurred in 2019 hit."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Rolling Stone",
        "title": "Sam Smith, Normani Copyright Lawsuit Over ‘Dancing With a Stranger’ Heads to Trial",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/sam-smith-normani-copyright-lawsuit-over-dancing-with-a-stranger",
        "published": "2026-09-23T21:32:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}