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On February 12, 2025, American singer and songwriter UMI responded to criticism she received after posting a TikTok video of herself lip-syncing to BLACKPINK's Jennie's latest track, Love Hangover. While many enjoyed her post, it sparked backlash from a section of BTS' Taehyung's fans, who disapproved of any association between Jennie and V due to long-standing dating rumors between the two K-pop stars.
For context, UMI previously collaborated with Taehyung (V) on wherever u r, which was released in December 2023 while he was serving in the military. However, after she posted her TikTok, some fans took issue with her interactions in the comment section.
Following the backlash, UMI decided to clarify her stance in a TikTok video. She explained that she had no knowledge of or interest in the personal lives of the artists she collaborates with. She said:
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"When I make music with somebody, I don't go and research about their personal life, about rumors, about assumptions that are being made about someone's personal life. That is not how you make art. When you make art with somebody, you appreciate their art, and you create art, and you share art. So, I have no idea what's happening, nor do I feel comfortable to go and research these things because I find it to be a little bit intrusive."
Amid the controversy, many fans came to UMI's defense, calling out those who had sent her hate. Many agreed that the backlash was unnecessary, describing the situation as "beyond embarrassing" and urging people to focus on the music rather than fabricated narratives. An X user, @fairydustvmin, wrote,
"the fact that she even had to address this is beyond embarrassing. this is not the first time she's had to come and apologize (for literally NO reason bc she didn't actually do anything wrong),"
The post continues:
"and tbh none of you unhinged individuals that were throwing every slur under the sun her way deserve even a second of her time nor an ounce of her kindness that she has shown you. you created some warped narrative in your head over something so minuscule and decided to show your nasty *sses. she didn't deserve this at all, she's a kind and loving soul."
Some pointed out that she had done nothing wrong and should not have to justify herself.
"Just finding out the reason why y'all are attacking here and I am EMBARRASSED. She's just an artist and she can befriend everyone or every artist," an X user wrote.
"so glad she stood her ground but she shouldn't have had to apologise at all... it's disgusting the way she's been treated by these racist solos, shippers (& probably some) armys," a fan commented.
"y'all literally made umi so uncomfortable, tf is wrong with y'all," a netizen mentioned.
Others criticized the toxic behavior within fandom spaces, questioning why certain fans were so quick to attack her over an unrelated issue.
"i feel so bad for her..i genuinely can't comprehend how ppl are able to make problems out of f*cking nothing like pls get a life," an X user remarked.
"y'all are f*cking delusional and creepy asf but aye anything to justify the harassment of umi replying to a shipper (that they didn't know about) that Y'ALL hate," a netizen added.
"i can't believe umi got bullied by absolute losers to the point where she had to make a video addressing it like leave that poor woman alone," another fan wrote.
UMI faces backlash over reply to BTS' Taehyung and BLACKPINK's Jennie fan account
One fan page dedicated to Jennie and V as a couple commented, "You know how to choose," on UMI's post, and she responded with two emojis that some interpreted as approval. Another user suggested that she cover Jennie's song, to which she responded positively, saying it was a great idea. These replies fueled further debate, leading to criticism from a subset of V's fans.
Regarding her response to the comments on her original post, UMI stated that she only intended to show appreciation for Jennie's music. She interpreted the fan's comment about "knowing how to choose" as a reference to good music taste, which is why she responded with emojis.
However, after realizing her response had been misinterpreted, she deleted the comment and the original video to prevent further misunderstandings. She said,
"The comment that I responded to, I believe she said something like, she knows. I literally thought she meant she knows that she got a good taste in music. Like, she knows what's good. Like, she knows what's good music. And I was like, yes, I do know what's good. This song is good. This song is stuck in my head. So, I was like, yes, I do know."
UMI further expressed her disappointment over the situation, stating that accusations of clout-chasing or intentionally stirring controversy were unfounded. She stressed that music and collaboration should not be reduced to drama or speculation about personal relationships. In her view, creativity should be about sharing and appreciating art rather than fueling unnecessary division.
The debate stems from the ongoing rumors about BTS' V and BLACKPINK's Jennie, who have been linked since 2022. Speculation was fueled by alleged leaked photos and public sightings, but neither YG Entertainment nor BigHit Music has ever confirmed their relationship.
