SOUTH KOREAN girl group NewJeans recently released a new single and music video titled How Sweet, which premiered on May 24. The track, produced by their frequent collaborator 250, features lyrics in both Korean and English.
The song, lasting about three minutes and 40 seconds, showcases Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein’s vibrant electronic pop that defines NewJeans’ distinctive style.
However, the group has faced accusations of plagiarism following the viral success of the track within three hours of its release.
The controversy began when K-pop site Pannkpop shared a video comparing How Sweet with two other songs – Summer Love by Malaysian band Midnight Fusic, released on Aug 25, 2022, and F.U.I.L.Y by Filipino artiste Karencitta, released on Oct 5, 2023.
Listeners noticed similarities in the melody progression, rhythm and notes among the three songs, despite each using different instruments.
However, it is crucial to realise that music often evolves with many songs sounding similar due to the use of common chord progressions. Differences in keys, arrangements and styles can still result in comparable musical patterns.
According to a study conducted by researchers in Spain, the sound of mainstream songs has become increasingly similar over time, thereby restricting the diversity of sounds in contemporary popular music and resulting in certain songs sounding similar.
Hence, plagiarism accusations in music are not uncommon and often arise without gaining widespread attention or resulting in legal action.
Despite the controversy, the song also recently faced backlash due to reported restrictions on viewing the music video. Some fans were unable to access the video due to age and country restrictions.
HYBE, the multinational record label, was accused of imposing these restrictions, but the label denied the claims, stating: “HYBE does not set age restrictions when uploading music videos. YouTube makes that decision on its own. We have requested YouTube to explain why the video has been restricted and to resolve the issue.”
Yet, some fans continued to raise concerns in the comment section of the video, citing similar issues with other HYBE artists in the past.
NewJeans’ How Sweet follows the release of Bubble Gum in late April and marks their comeback after nearly a year since their Get Up EP.
Additionally, the group is set to release two songs in Japanese – Supernatural and Right Now – in June.
