Tengrinews.kz — A new single by South Korean K-pop group ATEEZ has sparked debate among netizens. Following the release of the track "BAD", some listeners pointed out its resemblance to the song "Aidahar" by the Kazakh group "Irina Kairatovna".
What happened
The music video for "BAD" was released on June 26 of this year, serving as the lead single for the group's new mini-album.
Almost immediately after the release, comparisons to "Aidahar" began appearing in the comments. According to netizens, the issue lies not so much in the melody itself but in the overall concept of the track. Many noted a similar flow and chorus.
"It sounds like a track by Irina Kairatovna," "I've heard this somewhere before," "Am I the only one hearing 'Beka-Beka-Beka' in the chorus, just like Irina Kairatovna's?", "The first thing that came to mind was 'Aidahar'," "Not a copy, but the vibe is very similar," "At first I thought it was a remix of 'Aidahar'," commenters wrote.
It is worth noting that at the time of publication, the "BAD" music video had garnered nearly 23 million views on YouTube. ATEEZ has over 11.2 million followers on their Instagram account.
For comparison, the music video for "Aidahar" by Irina Kairatovna, released on June 7, 2024, has amassed 374 million views on YouTube and remains one of the most popular music videos by Kazakh artists.
Notably, at this time, neither ATEEZ nor representatives for Irina Kairatovna have publicly commented on the ongoing discussion. There have also been no statements from the group members themselves.
Incidentally, this is not the first time such discussions have surrounded ATEEZ. However, in previous instances, it was more often the group's own work that was the subject of potential borrowing. For example, in 2022, according to Soompi, a controversy regarding the choreography for the song "Say My Name" gained widespread attention. Netizens and one of the original choreographers claimed that a dance move used by choreographer Vata on the show Street Man Fighter was too similar to ATEEZ's signature move. Vata denied the allegations, and no official admission of plagiarism ever followed.
View this post on Instagram
What is known about the group
ATEEZ is a South Korean K-pop group that debuted in 2018. The group consists of eight members and is considered one of the most prominent representatives of the fourth generation of K-pop. The group regularly enters international music charts, sells out massive venues worldwide, and maintains a large audience outside of South Korea. ATEEZ's official Instagram account has over 11.2 million followers.