Kenyan singer and songwriter Victoria Kimani has made a startling claim that has sent ripples through the music world: she says she wrote the chorus for Just Dance, the iconic hit that launched Lady Gaga’s career. The revelation comes in her new documentary series, released on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
Kimani says she composed a demo in her teenage years, which included a chorus remarkably similar to Gaga’s now-famous lines: “So just dance, so just dance, it’s all right, it’s okay, because you’ll find a way.” Months later, she heard the same chorus on a global smash single and immediately recognized it as her own work.
“I thought, wait, I wrote that. Where’s my credit? Where are my accolades? Where’s my money?” Kimani recalled.
Describing the mix of shock and disbelief she felt. Fear of retaliation or being blacklisted in the industry kept her from speaking out at the time.
Just Dance, released on April 8, 2008, as the lead single from Lady Gaga’s debut album The Fame, became an international phenomenon. It topped charts across the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, Greece, Ireland, and the Netherlands, earning Gaga her first Grammy nomination and eventually reaching Diamond status for over 10 million digital sales.
But Kimani says her story is not unique. She shared experiences of other songs she created that were allegedly used without proper credit. For example, her vocals on All About the Money for Russian artist Timati were reportedly lip-synced by another singer in the official music video. She also claims her co-written song Live It Up, later released by Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull, retained the exact cadence, flow, and chorus of her original version without recognition or compensation.
“These experiences are heartbreaking, but unfortunately, they reflect a broader reality in the music industry,” Kimani said. “Songwriters often work behind the scenes, yet their contributions fuel some of the biggest hits in the world and sometimes they are left invisible.”
Her documentary has reignited discussions about intellectual property and recognition in the music business, prompting fans, fellow artists, and critics alike to reconsider the hidden stories behind some of pop music’s biggest hits.
For Kimani, it is more than a legal or financial question it is about justice, acknowledgment, and reclaiming her voice.
