Recently, a new song “Bubble gum” by NewJeans has sparked quite the debate, with accusations of plagiarism flying in from all corners.
Headline translation: "After complaining about Illit, Min Hee-jin faces plagiarism uproar over New Jeans' new single 'Bubble Gum'"https://t.co/TxV0pujhW0
— Sean Lim (@theseoulite) May 13, 2024
The song, “Bubble Gum,” by New Jeans, has been accused of bearing striking similarities to “Easier Said Than Done,” a hit by the UK British pop group Shakatak, which was released in 1982. Shakatak was a British jazz-funk band formed in 1980, still active today.Netizens were quick to point out the uncanny resemblance between the two tracks, citing similarities in instrumentation and overall vibe.
it's basically a COPYpic.twitter.com/ugdP7Evn6b https://t.co/10RcR3Bmc9
— r u b y (@rubyvely) May 13, 2024
While some have jumped to conclusions, asserting that “Bubble Gum” is a clear copy of Shakatak’s classic, others argue that this may simply be a case of parallel creativity.
What’s particularly contentious is the assertion by some netizens that this isn’t a case of sampling. Indeed, sampling in music production is a common practice, but it requires formal acknowledgment and consent from the original artist. In this case, allegations suggest that the original artist, Shakatak, was unaware of the existence of “Bubble Gum” until brought to their attention by concerned fans.
Adding fuel to the fire, a netizen took it upon themselves to reach out to Shakatak directly, querying the band about the similarities between the two songs. To the surprise of many, Shakatak responded, expressing their lack of awareness regarding “Bubble Gum.” They promised to investigate the matter further, leaving fans eagerly awaiting their official stance on the issue.
This is not sampled. Cuz doin a sample should be announced formally and transparently bcuz the OG should be crdited. But in this case the OG singer wasnt even aware of the existence of this song. And the MHJ is clearly taking down articles abt this silently, i guess their guilty.
— ave (@avehuh_) May 13, 2024
i'm being very generous with cord progression similaritys and samples or covers. like bts and txt both have songs on their discography that they remade and released but they were very transparent about it. if ador bought the song rights it's fine but otherwise …
— nat⁷ (slow) (@blacktaedarling) May 13, 2024