There’s never a boring day in the K-pop industry, whether it be new releases or new gossip. Unfortunately, in this past week, some of K-pop’s biggest stars received hate from netizens – but were these criticisms justified? Here’s a round-up of some of the recent drama in the K-pop world – involving J-Hope (제이홉), SHINee (샤이니) and aespa (에스파):
Seeking Clout Or Showing Love? J-Hope’s Doechii Video Gets Mixed Reactions
While preparing for his world tour, BTS (방탄소년단) member J-Hope still takes time to share content with fans through his personal TikTok account. In one of his recent videos, the rapper did a TikTok trend to American musician Doechii’s “Denial Is A River”. Of course, K-pop stars jumping in on trends is common, but some netizens noted that the timing of the video seemed off.
Many lamented that J-Hope posted the video to ride on Doechii’s popularity since the latter recently won a Grammy Award. However, fans defended the idol, saying he’s merely showing love for Doechii, who once gave a shoutout to BTS in one of her songs. On the other hand, some suggested that the video hints at a potential collaboration between the two stars.
SHINee Members Accused Of Abandoning Group Activities For Solo Promotions
Despite only two members remaining under SM Entertainment, SHINee is still going strong. However, netizens recently discussed how the members favour solo activities over group promotions. For example, Taemin (태민), now under BPM Entertainment, is busy embarking on his world tour, while Key (키) is focused on his entertainment show appearances.
The quartet also didn’t reunite for the recent SMTOWN concert, leading many fans to express disappointment over the lack of group activities. Some even went as far as to say the members are abandoning the group. It’s also worth noting that SM Entertainment never mentioned plans for SHINee for 2025, so fans lament that the group might not make a comeback soon.
aespa’s Ningning & Giselle Garners Stirs Controversy Over Unreleased “Diss Track”
Diss tracks, a common practice in Hip-Hop, are growing in popularity amongst mainstream K-pop idol rappers. However, an unreleased “diss track” from aespa members Ningning (닝닝) and Giselle (지젤) gained attention online for its surprising lyrics. The two members played snippets of the song during a recent livestream.
The unreleased track included lyrics like “I be hustling, I’m doing what I do” and “All these people talking sh*t, fake news”. However, the line that garnered the most attention from netizens was Ningning saying, “Ugly people suck”. Many have since reacted to the track, lamenting about the lyrics. However, most fans said the song was just for fun and shouldn’t be taken seriously.
What are your thoughts on all these recent K-pop news? Watch J-Hope’s TikTok and aespa’s diss track snippet below:
@iamurhope When I breathe, U breathe. D-25
@imyoungvibe
