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Plagiarism remains one of the gravest issues in the K-pop industry, and ATEEZ has had its fair share of disappointments regarding the same. The eight-member boy band has repeatedly pointed out that several artists have allegedly plagiarized their concepts, ideas, choreographies, and costumes, among other things.
ATINYs, the group's fandom, has actively called out any similarities or resemblances with ATEEZ's original works. The most recent VATA controversy after Wooyoung's 'Biting' incident is proof of this tendency.
The Street Man Fighter and We Dem Boyz' leader VATA was accused of imitating ATEEZ's signature step from their 2019 hit Say My Name for his New Thing challenge.
Despite incessant public callouts by ATINYs and K-pop idols like E'last's Won Hyuk, VATA's official statement addressing the plagiarism controversy was not considered satisfactory. Instead, it went on to discard any claims of plagiarism.
This, however, is not the first time that ATEEZ has taken notice of artists copying their hard work. From (G)-IDLE's Soyeon to JYPE's rookie girl group NMIXX, various artists have been blatantly called out by ATNIYs for allegedly plagiarizing the Deja Vu group.
Soyeon's SUN, E. Skhillz's Odg, and more: Six times artists came under the ATINY radar for plagiarizing ATEEZ
1) Soyeon's SUN controversy
(G)-IDLE's Soyeon was wrapped in plagiarism controversies after her song SUN's composition was dramatically similar to ATEEZ's 2019 release Wave. The K-pop idol performed the song on the finale episode of MBC's girl group audition program My Teen Girl, which aired on February 27.
The track was supposed to be a gift for the contestants from Soyeon (mentor) but instead drew attention for all the wrong reasons. ATINYs quickly pointed out the similarities between SUN and Wave and demanded an explanation. The artist's company, CUBE Entertainment, released a statement acknowledging the resemblance and apologized for not crediting the rightful producers despite the issue being known by both Soyeon and MBC.
However, till today, fans are not convinced about the statement.
2) MONOPOLY's album cover
ATINYs rushed to call out another artist named 'MONOPOLY' after they released the cover for their single album HOLYMOLY, which had a drastic resemblance with ATEEZ's fourth Extended Play Treasure Epilogue: Action to Answer's cover. The incident occurred in 2020 but did not gain attraction until the recent plagiarism controversy by VATA.
Unfortunately, little to no information is available about MONOPOLY, but according to some fans, the artist wanted to draw inspiration from the Fireworks crooners and meant no malice. He recognized his fault, apologized, and later changed the cover of his album, a move much appreciated by ATINYs.
3) Ammonit's REVERSE cover
Yet another lesser-known artist Ammonit was called out by ATINYs for copying the K-pop band's traditional design of styling their album covers of the ZERO: FEVER series. The two covers' uncanny similarity was brought to light by fans on social media, leading the artist to change their design. Like MONOPOLY, little to no information is available about Ammonit.
4) TRINITY's music concept dispute
TRINITY is a three-member Thai pop boy band that was formed in 2019. The group came under the ATINY radar for copying ATEEZ's Deja Vu concept pictures. One member was seen donning the same outfit as Wooyoung. Furthermore, fans also accused them of plagiarizing the group's March 2021 release Fireworks.
According to them, TRINITY's Life Ain't Over music video, released in December 2021, offered similar scenes and aesthetics as Fireworks (I'm the One). The fans demanded clarifications from the artists' company, 4nologue, and trended the hashtag #AtinyAskedForClarificationFrom4nologue. They constantly spread awareness of the alleged plagiarism and made relentless efforts to refrain people from insulting the artists.
5) Eltee Skhillz's Odg
Eltee Skhillz is a Nigerian singer who garnered the spotlight after his song Odg (March 2022) was allegedly declared a carbon copy of ATEEZ's The Real and Say My Name. ATINYs were furious over the artist's blatant plagiarism and disregard for the eight-member band's diligent labor. According to the description of Odg's music video on YouTube, Skhillz aimed to draw inspiration from the boy band. It reads,
“Partly inspired by ATEEZ "The Real" and "Say my name" music video”
From wearing similar costumes, including Hongjoong's blue hanbok, to delivering the same aesthetics, the Nigeran singer was accused of doing something unoriginal. ATINYs remain enraged over the artist's obliviousness towards cultural appropriation.
According to them, the mere mention in the description is the height of unprofessionalism and is appalling. They demanded that KQ Entertainment take legal action against Skhillz and give the artists due credit, but the agency continues to maintain silence over the situation to date.
6) NMIXX's chaotic debut
JYPE's rookie girl group NMIXX had a rocky start in the K-pop industry. The band's debut single OO met with extreme criticism after plagiarism allegations surfaced from ATINYs. From a pirate-themed ship, often used in ATEEZ's music videos such as Illusion and Pirate King, to following similar sets, concepts, and themes, JYP Entertainment came under fire for not only copying the Answer crooners but also jeopardizing the rookie girls' career.
Fans pointed out the stark resemblance in some of their lyrics, furthering the massive outrage online. Netizens also noted that DIGIPEDI, the studio that produced OO, has also teamed up with ATEEZ for some projects; hence, the similarities arose. However, according to ATINYs, this does not give them a free pass, and they should have been accountable for their actions. Unfortunately, no official statement was released by JYP Entertainment regarding this incident.
ATEEZ has one of the most dedicated and loyal fandoms of all time. ATINYs perpetually advocate for their favorite artists. They are ever-ready to come to the group's rescue and will call out artists who plagiarize the group's work.
