NewJeans’ latest track, “Bubble Gum,” released under HYBE’s affiliate ADOR, is embroiled in controversy due to its alleged similarity to a song by British band Shakatak from 42 years ago.
The industry closely monitors the situation to see if this will turn into a bad situation, especially as CEO Min Hee-jin of ADORE claims that the new girl group ILLIT, under HYBE’s label Belift Lab, is plagiarizing NewJeans. NewJeans is scheduled to make a comeback on May. 24. with “Bubble Gum”.
As of May. 13, controversy has erupted on YouTube and various online communities, with many users asserting that “Bubble Gum” sounds remarkably similar to Shakatak’s 1982 track “Easier Said Than Done.”
Comments such as “It’s the same,” “It’s more similar than sampling,” and “It’s a rip-off” have proliferated across these platforms.
Notably, 250 (Lee Ho-hyung), the composer of “Bubble Gum,” has previously written hits for NewJeans, including “Attention,” “Hype Boy,” and “Ditto.”
Earlier, ADOR CEO had alleged during a press conference on April 25 that “ILLIT is copying NewJeans in all areas of their entertainment activities, including hair, makeup, costumes, choreography, photos, videos, and event appearances.”
