as Composer Says They’re ‘Similar’
Bruce Cockburn, who composed the ‘Franklin’ theme song, tells PEOPLE he “can’t claim to have had any part” in crafting Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em”
By Daniela Avila and Jack Irvin
28 February 2024
Social media users are drawing comparison between Beyoncé’s country hit “Texas Hold ‘Em” and the theme song for the Canadian cartoon show Franklin.
Since Queen Bey, 42, dropped her hit song on Feb. 11, fans have noticed some similarities between the two tracks. Meanwhile, Bruce Cockburn, composer of the animated series’ theme song, acknowledges they’re similar — but says “Texas Hold ‘Em” is entirely her own.
“Millennials trying to figure out why this sounds so familiar,” one TikTok user wrote over a video, where “Texas Hold ‘Em” played in the background and scenes from the cartoon show flashed by.
In another video, a TikTok user stared into the camera as one song played after the other. He captioned the post, “People keep telling me this Beyoncé song sounds similar to this.”
Another TikTok user broke down different parts of the songs — demonstrating which parts sound similar. “I don’t know if it’s actually a sample but I love the inspiration,” she said.
In light of the comparisons, Cockburn, who composed and performed the theme song for the cartoon series that ran from 1997-2004, is sharing his thoughts on the matter.
Official Statement from Bruce Cockburn
“I think Beyoncé’s ‘Texas Hold ’Em’ is a good record. Unfortunately I can’t claim to have had any part in writing it,” he tells PEOPLE in a statement. “The rhythmic feel is similar to my theme song for the Franklin TV series, but to my ears that’s where the similarity stops. ‘Texas Hold ’Em’ is her song, and I wish her success with it!”
Continue Reading on people.com
