MBC cuts ITZY Lia’s OST in ‘The Red Sleeve’ finale, upset fans trend #LisaDeservesBetter

ITZY’s Lia was announced to lend her voice for an OST in the popular sageuk drama The Red Sleeve. As fans waited to watch the drama with the singer’s voice, it turned out that the finale aired without Lia’s OST, I'll Light You Like A Star.

Fans were visibly upset with MBC’s treatment of Lia, especially after the idol posted lengthy messages apologizing to MIDZYs for having their hopes up. While she stated the OST would be released on January 3, fans are lashing out at the broadcasting company for mistreating the ITZY member.

MBC airing ‘The Red Sleeve’ finale without ITZY Lia’s OST upsets fans

The Red Sleeve concluded on January 1, 2022, with two final episodes airing back-to-back. Originally, the period romance was scheduled for 16 episodes but the overwhelming love and support from fans made MBC extend it by one episode.

The show enjoyed the No. 1 spot on the buzzworthy drama list for seven consecutive weeks. Another reason The Red Sleeve trended was that ITZY’s Lia was announced to have participated in the show’s OST titled I'll Like You Like A Star.

While the song was scheduled for release on January 3, fans also anticipated a glimpse of the song in the drama. Small clips of the OSTs are usually released in the drama first and then on music platforms.

The finale ended with bittersweet emotions as fans sat for nearly three hours hoping to catch a glimpse of the ITZY member’s OST. Soon, Lia sent messages on the fan-artist text app, Bubble, to calm the disappointed fans by looking at the positive side of things.

MIDZYs continue to trend “We are proud of Lia”, #LiaDeservesBetter and #밝혀줄게별처럼 (#LightYouLikeAStar) to shower support for the idol and expressing their dismay towards MBC. Take a look at some reactions below:

Meanwhile, ITZY announced its first-ever in-person fan meeting ITZY, MIDZY, Fly! to be held on February 19, 5 PM KST. The event will take place at Yes 24 Live Hall in Seoul. It will be live-streamed for the remaining fans on Beyond LIVE. More details will be out soon on the group’s social media channels.

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Afreen has been a K-Pop Content Specialist at Sportskeeda since 2021. She holds a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, along with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication. Afreen has over 4+ years of working in various positions including being an entertainment content writer with Pinkvilla’s K-pop division Hallyutalk and CineDope, and as a copywriter at Flying Cursor.

As per Afreen, she loves her work because she gets to write about the things she is obsessed with. Her thorough research and following the two-genuine-source rule of journalism helps her produce the most accurate content, along with helping her be up-to-date with the industry.

Afreen has had the privilege to interview The Rose's frontrunner, WOOSUNG, and LIONESSES, K-pop's first openly LGBTQ+ group. She is a big fan of SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, BTS, and The Rose for their hard work, sincerity, and the comic relief their shows provide.

When she is off her shift, Afreen explores the streets of Nottingham in the UK, cooks, and listens to new music.

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#LiaDeservesBetter: Fans upset with MBC cutting out ITZY member’s OST in ‘The Red Sleeve’ finale

MBC airing ‘The Red Sleeve’ finale without ITZY Lia’s OST upsets fans