Fans Compare Beyoncé’s ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ to Franklin TV Show Theme 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”

Beyonce, FRANKLIN

Beyoncé and Franklin. PHOTO: KEVIN MAZUR/WIREIMAGE, EVERETT

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.

“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!”

Beyonce supports Jay-Z as he accepts the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award during the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles,

Beyoncé.KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY

The “Cuff It” singer became the first-ever Black female artist to top the Billboard  Hot Country Songs chart thanks to “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which also reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart.

“Texas Hold ‘Em,” which was officially serviced to country radio on Feb. 13, took the top spot from Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves whose duet “I Remember Everything” sat at No. 1 for 20 weeks.

Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are the only solo female artists who have debuted at No. 1 on the chart, with the latter claiming the top spot with “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” and “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” in 2021.

Beyonce NYFW new york 02 13 24

Beyoncé.NINA WESTERVELT/WWD VIA GETTY

Beyoncé surprised fans by releasing “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” during the Super Bowl, shortly after her ad with Verizon aired and sharing a teaser for her next album.

She shared a teaser on Instagram that appeared to be inspired by the classic 1984 western Paris, Texas, featuring a group of bystanders in the desert staring at her billboard while a clip of “Texas Hold ‘Em” played in the background.

Her upcoming full project, a currently untitled follow-up to Renaissance, is set for a March 29 release March 29. It comes a little over a year and a half after the house-inspired record (featuring the hits “Break My Soul” and “Cuff It”) dropped in summer 2022.