The latest BLACKPINK sensation, Lalisa Manobal (Lisa), recently faced sudden plagiarism accusations amid the massive promotion of her latest solo album, “ROCKSTAR.” But what exactly happened? And what part of the album that was plagiarized exactly? Check out the following story for the full report.
BLACKPINK Lisa Faces Plagiarism Accusations Against “ROCKSTAR” Solo Album
After members of BLACKPINK decided to focus on their solo activities, maknae member Lisa was the first to make a global sensation with her multiple adventures. Not only was she enchanting in “Crazy Horse” Paris performances, but she would reportedly make her Hollywood debut with “The White Lotus.”
But above all that, BLACKPINK Lisa recently brought massive sensation with her solo album comeback,“ROCKSTAR.” Yet, unfortunately, this “ROCKSTAR” solo album must face multiple plagiarism accusations against Lisa of BLACKPINK and her production team.
Plagiarism Accusation Against Lisa’s Outfits
Last week, upon the release of “ROCKSTAR” solo album, a sudden plagiarism accusation emerged against the iconic outfit that BLACKPINK Lisa wore in the MV.
Since the first teaser came out, Lisa repeatedly emphasized the name “ROCKSTAR” in the album’s concept. That includes the star accessory on her teeth and the iconic black star-shaped top she wore in the MV.
Then, after the “ROCKSTAR” MV was released, BLACKPINK Lisa and her team faced a plagiarism accusation from a designer named Yue Yang. According to the designer, the black star-shaped top BLACKPINK Lisa wore in the MV was a “rip-off” version of their own design.
The designer’s chat messages circulated online on the Chinese site Xiaohongshu. Along with the message, Yue Yang also shared photos of the process when they designed and created their version of the star-shaped top in 2020.
Yue Yang also posted photos on Instagram to highlight the similarities. Before explaining further, the designer showed photos of the finished looks and the people wearing them, including celebrities like aespa’s NingNing.
Afterward, the designer explained that they didn’t have a copyright for the design because it was too costly and time-consuming, and they were trying to contact the stylist. They also mentioned receiving many hate messages and threats since the original post on XHS.
More Accusations Against BLACKPINK Lisa “ROCKSTAR” Solo Album
While some fans believe that the star-shaped outfit similarities could not count as plagiarism, it was not the only issue and accusation.
On July 4, a young photographer and videographer from London, Gabriel Moses, pointed out the striking similarities between the “ROCKSTAR” MV scene and the ones he shot for the “FE!N” music video of rapper Travis Scott. For the record, the “FE!N” release date was on March 31, approximately 3 months before Lisa’s comeback.
Gabriel Moses took the plagiarism issue of BLACKPINK Lisa “ROCKSTAR” solo album to Instagram Story. He said to have contacted Lisa’s company regarding the issue, giving them time until the end of this month to respond to the controversy.
After the accusations went public, Gabriel Moses received mixed reactions from international fans. Some seemed to defend him, and yet the others pointed out that he was not the only one coming up the idea. Others have been using similar concepts, including Kendrick Lamar.
However, this is where it gets interesting.
Gabriel Moses then claimed that Lisa’s team had been reaching out to his editor to work on “ROCKSTAR” MV. Not only that, but he also mentioned that his very “FE!N” was the reference for the project.
Unfortunately, his editor refused the offer. And today, we can still see the same reference in BLACKPINK Lisa “ROCKSTAR” solo album MV – was it truly a plagiarism, then?
They reached out to my editor to work on this btw & Fein was the reference. He said nah & they did it anyway. Enjoy the rest of your day https://t.co/MeyjTUxKrG
— SOUF LONDRES (@gabrielomoses) July 5, 2024
Problematic New Team or Simply Coincidence?
Since the plagiarism accusations emerged, fans have been bombarding BLACKPINK Lisa “ROCKSTAR” solo album with mixed reactions.
Some of these fans keep on defending Lisa’s team, claiming it simply a coincidence. And yet, others have been upset with Lisa’s new team at LLOUD and RCA Records. That is especially when the team did nothing particularly special to further promote the solo album.
But at the end of the day, Lisa’s company LLOUD and RCA Records have yet to release any official statement to respond to all the issues.
Hello @wearelloud @RCARecords,
— LISANATIONS (@LISANATIONS_) July 3, 2024
We’re working hard to keep LISA’s numbers as high as we can, but we need your help for ROCKSTAR. We need performances, interviews, and promotions to push the song further.
Unlimited versions can combine for the Billboard and UK charts. We want to…
Lilies are working very hard to maintain LISA’s numbers as high as we can, but can only do so much. We need YOUR help to guarantee good stability to ROCKSTAR. We need promotions to push the song even more; performances, interviews. We'll need more promo for her future album too
— Julie L (@laprade_julie) July 2, 2024
So, what do you think about all these plagiarism accusations against BLACKPINK Lisa “ROCKSTAR” solo comeback? Was it merely a coincidence? Or does the new team seem to be problematic to you? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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