“Trademarking stars now?” — Internet outraged as BTS’ j-hope’s ‘Killin’ It Girl’ MV faces plagiarism claims over BLACKPINK Lisa’s ‘Rockstar’

On June 13, BTS' j-hope released his latest solo single, Killin' it Girl, along with its music video. As fans continued to create a frenzy over the idol's recent release, some netizens raised plagiarism allegations against him. They accused the Killin' It Girl music video of allegedly sharing striking similarities with BLACKPINK's Lisa's music video for her June 2024 track, ROCKSTAR.

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Many expressed that things like the star-shaped clothing, the choreography alignment, and the set aesthetics of Killin' It Girl were also present in Rockstar. However, fans of BTS soon came to j-hope's defence to explain that the instances used could often be seen in many music videos and commonly used in many facets of the music industry, and were not unique to Lisa's.

"trademarking stars now?? and v shape dance formation??? filming mv on streets????" one fan tweeted on X (formerly Twitter).

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Similarly, others also commented on the comparisons being made.

"As a blink I’m so confused by why y’all think blackpink owns dancing in a street. These mvs look nothing alike honestly," stated a fan.

"If you wanna be like that hobi been dancing in the street since forever, they call him hope on the street for a reason (apparently streets and stars are a totally and new original concept)," said a netizen.

"Lisa does not have a monopoly on stars and an entire f*cking country," commented another X user.

On the other hand, many leveled accusations of plagiarism against j-hope's latest release.

"imitations glorify the original :) They always take their inspiration from women, and now we know why HYBE focuses on every move Lisa makes. This company's copying and imitating of artists is shameful and cheap, and Lisa always proves that she is the standard for K-pop," said a fan on X.

"This is Literally a copy of rockstar by lisa," commented a netizen.

"Sorry to say. star logo, shoot and dance in Thailand street. It look like copying rockstar tho eww" added an X user.

"He wanted a bit of Lisa's Rockstar nachos," commented another fan.

All about BTS' j-hope's recent solo activities

Following his discharge from the military in October 2024, BTS' j-hope slowly began to reenter the industry. He started off by throwing the first pitch for the 2024 Korean Game Series between the KIA Tigers and the Samsung Lions. In November, he also attended the grand opening of Audemars Piguet AP House Seoul Flagship in South Korea.

Around February 2025, the idol released his first music release, LV BAG ft. Don Toliver. The collaborative song was produced by Pharrell Williams and first debuted at the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2025 runway show in Paris. Soon after, he announced his first solo world tour, HOPE ON THE STAGE, which kicked off on February 28.

The tour made stops across several cities across the world such as Osaka, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, London, Taipei, Macau, Bangkok, etc. HOPE ON THE STAGE came to an end recently on June 14 with his final show at the Goyang Stadium in Seoul, South Korea.

During the course of his world tour, he also released three other singles. He rolled out one collaborative song called Sweet Dreams with Miguel and another single called MONA LISA in March 2025. Most recently, in June 2025, he put forth his latest single, Killin' It Girl ft. GloRilla.

Following the several intriguing releases from the idol, fans have been eagerly looking forward to the progression of BTS' j-hope's solo career.

About the author

Aishwarya is a pop culture writer who covers K-drama and K-pop at Sportskeeda. After completing her Bachelor's in English and Communication Skills, she sought a job that allowed her to explore her passion, and being a K-pop and K-drama reporter felt like the ideal fit. Aishwarya has 3 years of experience under her belt and previously took on several internships in the industry that further motivated her in choosing writing as a career.

Aishwarya believes in conducting extensive research and verifying facts with the help of reputable sources to produce accurate articles. She also spends a significant amount of time on Twitter to understand how netizens are reacting to the latest trends in the industry before crafting her content.

She admires SUGA from BTS for his dedication to his work and aspires to immerse herself into the things she loves, just like him. If she could go back in time, she would jump at the opportunity to be part of ""Reply 1988,"" a K-drama set in a time when neighborhood relationships were cherished and interpersonal connections were of utmost importance. Although she loves how technology has advanced, she would also love to experience living in an era before it was invented.

When Aishwarya's not writing and reading about the latest developments in the industry, she spends her time crocheting, sketching, cycling, reading Mangas, and cooking.

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Edited by Ankita Barat