Key Takeaways
- Summer Walker invoked California’s seven-year statute to end her Interscope deal, arguing that the contract she signed in 2017 is no longer enforceable.
- Interscope sued for more than $50 million, claiming Walker delivered only three of five required studio albums, including Still Over It, while her earlier EPs do not count toward the deal.
- Walker’s attorney says she will "vigorously defend" her position and may countersue, though both sides remain open to resolving the dispute.
Summer Walker wants out of her deal with Interscope Records, but the label claims she has several more projects to fulfill.
According to Rolling Stone, the Universal Music Group imprint filed a seven-page complaint against the singer on Friday (October 9) in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The label has requested that damages, possibly in excess of $50,000,000, be set at trial.
The filing details a letter Walker's attorneys sent the label dated August 27, which deemed her contract no longer enforceable. That notice invoked California's seven-year statute, a 1944 law that lets an individual leave a personal services contract after seven years.
As explained in the Rolling Stone article, sources in the music industry described the contract as "brutal," with restrictions such as an upfront $110,000 advance, along with a 16 percent royalty rate for her debut and sophomore albums.
Walker, who signed a joint deal with Interscope and LVRN in 2017, is alleged to have agreed to deliver five studio albums. The complaint counts only three: 2019's Over It, 2021's Still Over It, and 2025's Finally Over It. Walker’s other releases, like EPs Last Day of Summer and CLEAR are considered pre-album projects that do not count towards the fulfillment of her deal.
"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," a spokesperson for Interscope stated. "We have great respect for Summer and her music and would welcome the opportunity to continue our successful partnership."
Walker's attorney, Keith Moten, has responded to the filing along with warning of the possibility of a countersuit.
"While we are disappointed that Interscope has chosen to pursue litigation, we are confident in Summer's legal position and her right to challenge the continued enforceability of her recording contract with Interscope," Moten said. "We intend to vigorously defend against Interscope's claims and pursue appropriate legal relief."
He added that despite his client’s frustrations, Walker "remains open to a constructive resolution."
