Songwriter who claimed Drake’s ‘Janice STFU’ chorus was ‘literally identical’ to his demo drops lawsuit after 11 days
Songwriter Aviel Calev Hirschfield has withdrawn his lawsuit alleging that Drake’s “Janice STFU” copied the chorus of a demo he had shared with producers. He filed to dismiss the case in its entirety on 27 October, 11 days after suing Drake and three associated music companies; the withdrawal leaves the claims open to be brought again.
Hirschfield alleged that the lyrics, melody and cadence were identical, and said he recorded his chorus around 25 January 2026 before sending it to producers who work with Drake. The track was released on 15 May as part of Drake’s album *Iceman* and also interpolates Lykke Li’s “I Follow Rivers”, which Hirschfield said inspired his demo. The withdrawal notice gave no reason, and no court ruled on whether copying occurred.
In short
- Hirschfield withdrew his lawsuit 11 days after filing it.
- His claims against Drake and three music companies remain untested.
- The dismissal was without prejudice, so he can sue again.
Explained simply
Songwriters can protect original lyrics and music, and may take legal action if they believe another artist used their work without permission. In a music copyright dispute, a court may be asked to compare the works and consider how the later artist could have encountered the earlier material.
Drake is a Canadian rapper and recording artist, and Aviel Calev Hirschfield is a songwriter. Hirschfield said he sent a demo chorus to producers who work with Drake; Drake’s “Janice STFU” also uses elements of Lykke Li’s “I Follow Rivers”, a song Hirschfield said had inspired his demo.
Such claims can involve not only how similar two pieces sound, but also whether there was access to the earlier work and whether any use was authorised. A lawsuit being withdrawn does not establish whether copying happened, and a dismissal that leaves claims open may allow them to be brought again.