K-Pop, or Korean pop, has completely overtaken the music business with its upbeat songs, and coordinated dance motions. However, amidst the glitz and glamour, there are certain K-Pop songs that have sparked controversy and stirred up debates. In this section, we will explore the top 10 controversial K-Pop songs of all time. From lyrics that push boundaries to music videos that challenge societal norms, these songs have left a lasting impact on fans and critics alike. So, buckle up as we delve into the world of K-Pop's most controversial tracks and unravel the stories behind them.
1. TVXQ
TVXQ released a song called “Keep Your Head Down” on January 5, 2021. The song was released after the comeback of the group as a duo after the lawsuit with JYJ. The song was received by the audience as a diss of the former members. The fans even pointed out that the choreography of the song was about the former members and their leaving. Though the duo denied any such meaning of the song or choreography, the fans are still adamant about their theories.
2. BTS
BTS released their song “Fake Love” on May 18, 2018. BTS had broken many records and achieved great accomplishments when they entered U.S. when the song was played on radios in the United States, the radio stations censored the Korean words “niga” and “nega” so that it is not confused with the offensive “n” word. Though this backfired as the fans thought that because the words were censored, then, the group used the offensive word.
3. NCT 127
NCT 127 released their song “Cherry Bomb” on June 14, 2017. The song was banned on KBS because the song had some lyrics that had a violent tone and description of violence that was deemed unfit for broadcasting. The managing agency of the band SM Entertainment refused to edit the lyrics.
4. Red Velvet
Red Velvet is a South Korean girl group that debuted on August 1, 2014, with their song “Happiness.” Upon its release, the song landed in controversy, the band and their managing agency SM Entertainment received backlash from around the world as the music video had controversial scenes from Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings from World War II and the American Twin Tower Attack. The music video was pulled down from YouTube and later uploaded after re-editing.
5. 4L
4L released their song with the music video “Move” in 2014 from the album of the same name. When the band released the teaser of the song, it was surrounded by controversies. The teaser showed the Lesbian theme of the music video though the lyrics weren’t centered around LGBTQ. The mucic video showed the members in a passionate scene and overly sexual choreography which ultimately led to the video being labeled 19+.
6. BIGBANG
In 2015 the boy band BIGBANG made their comeback with the song “Bae Bae” which was an intentionally sexualized and mature music video. The music video had many sexually references and erotic undertone. The song went on to become a hit. But the song also gained its fair share of controversy for its sexual and mature direction.
7. Stellar
Stellar released their song Vibrato on July 20, 2015. It was a follow-up song to the group’s previous song, “Marionette.” The music video for the song Vibrato was filled with sexual choreography. The song was deemed unfit for the minors. This music video resulted in the slut- shaming from the audience. After the group disbanded one of the member of the group gave an interview where she revealed that the group was forced into this concept, and this led to the member having a bad opinion about the industry and it also affected their mental health.
8. TWICE
TWICE realized their song TT on October 23, 2016. The song went to became very popular and added to the groups’ innocent image. But the music video for the song had subtle hints of sexual References, like the scene where Jihyo was eating the ice cream or another scene where some other member was holding a gun and was deemed unfit for the innocent image of the group. Some fans also noted that TT sounds like English for breast, and is also a word for male genital in Tagalog.
9. MAMAMOO
On 7th November of 2016, MAMAMOO released their song “Decalcomanie.” This song was a way forward for them from the Cheerful image to bolder and more mature image. But the music video of the song received some criticism as it had a scene where the groupmember Solar was pushed into a wall and kissed forcibly. Though Solar justified this scene as it is quite common in K-dramas, and it was important for the concept of the song. But the fans were not convinced as they thought the scene looked like sexual assault. So, after this incident, their managing agency deleted this scene and pulled down the video.
10. Hyomin
Hyomin released, her song “Nice Body” on June 29, 2014. When the teaser of the song was released it turned many heads. The song met with a lot of backlash and controversy as it was labeled offensive and misogynistic towards women because of its lyrics.
