HYBE has found itself amid another controversy concerning BTS and BLACKPINK’s Rosé following a report claiming that BTS helped Rosé achieve success with her latest hit, ‘APT.’ featuring Bruno Mars. The claims have rocketed online with netizens criticizing the article and HYBE.
The controversy began when an online post appeared, referencing an article by Money Today. The article credited BTS with the success of Rosé, with the argument that the group’s presence around the world made K-pop artists successful outside of the country. It highlighted the monumental achievements of BTS such as eight chart-toppers on the Billboard Hot 100 and over 50 appearances on the chart, bringing K-pop music to a global scale
‘APT.’ is one of the most successful songs of Rosé. The report suggests the song debuting at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, wouldn’t have been possible without BTS breaking barriers for K-pop artists in the global pop scene. Netizens were outraged as they claimed that the article degraded the individual talent and hard work of the said artist.
Criticism also soon turned towards HYBE, with stories of media manipulation. However, there has been little evidence to indicate that HYBE had any involvement in this article’s release or its composition.
Despite the controversy, fans of both BLACKPINK and BTS pleaded their sides with their respective artists, begging media outlets to celebrate the singularity of individual triumphs without comparison or credit-sharing narratives.