Interscope Records is suing R&B star Summer Walker for more than $50 million after she told the label she was ending a contract she signed in 2017. Walker is relying on a California law that limits such deals to seven years. Her lawyer says she will countersue.
The R&B singer Summer Walker is facing a $50 million lawsuit from her record label, Rolling Stone reported.
Interscope Records, which is owned by Universal Music Group, filed the seven-page complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday, October 9.
What the Label Claims
Interscope says Walker still owes it two studio albums and an EP under a deal she first signed in 2017.
According to the complaint, her original agreement and later amendments required her to deliver five studio albums. Two earlier projects, Last Day of Summer and CLEAR, were classed as “pre-album projects” and did not count towards that total.
The label says it “is entitled to recover damages in excess of $50,000,000 for the undelivered recordings”. The final amount would be decided at trial.
Walker’s Position
Walker told Interscope in August that she would stop working under the agreement.
Her letter, quoted in the complaint, said that from August 27, 2026, she “will no longer render service under the agreement by reason of the fact that the agreement is no longer enforceable”.
She is relying on a California labour law known as the “seven-year rule”, which generally limits personal-services contracts, including recording agreements, to seven years.
A Contract Under Scrutiny
The deal has been criticised before. Music industry experts who reviewed a draft for Rolling Stone described its terms as “brutal”.
According to the magazine, which obtained the final contract:
- Walker’s initial advance was $110,000, with larger advances for later albums
- Her royalty rate for her first two albums was 16 percent
- Royalties were payable only after her advance had been recouped
What Each Side Says
Walker’s attorney, Keith Moten, said she plans to countersue.
“We are confident in Summer’s legal position and her right to challenge the continued enforceability of her recording contract with Interscope,” Moten said, adding that she “remains open to a constructive resolution”.
An Interscope spokesperson said the label had sued because of a legal deadline.
“While we remain hopeful that our ongoing discussions will lead to an amicable resolution, the statutory deadline makes it necessary to file suit in order to preserve the terms of our contract,” the spokesperson said. “We have great respect for Summer and her music.”
The claims in the lawsuit have not been tested in court.
Image: The Stanley Mosk Courthouse, home of the Los Angeles County Superior Court (file photo). Photo by Carol M. Highsmith via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
