In September, Allen Ma, a Taiwanese-American member of the group Cravity, apologised for not being careful with his words after he told Buzzfeed he thought that K-pop "appreciates, not appropriates, many different cultures", which prompted a backlash from fans for his apparent dismissal of the issue. Mamamoo and Stray Kids, for instance, have publicly apologised for appearing in blackface, and Ateez, like Lisa, have apologised for wearing braided hairstyles that are seen as appropriative. No formal apology was ever provided, but the video was edited to remove the statue.Īpologies do sometimes happen. Last year, for instance, Blackpink were accused of exploiting Indian culture and religion when they featured a figurine of a deity in one of their music videos. Some fan call-outs of K-pop stars are addressed quietly to minimise public attention. Lisa's conversation with the fan was a rare example of an artist directly addressing something many perceive to be wrong. K-pop has a history of drawing on other cultures and ethnic identities, especially black culture, and of stars wearing culturally distinct garb or using religiously sensitive trappings for decoration. Lisa is one of several K-pop stars over the past few years vocally addressing concerns from predominantly overseas fans of appropriation in the South Korean entertainment industry, after many years of artists and entertainers largely ignoring the issue. Photo: YG Entertainmentĭuring a recent online call with a fan, Blackpink member Lisa apologised for wearing a braided hairstyle that some fans said was culturally insensitive and derived from hairstyles over which black individuals across the world have faced racism and hate.
Blackpink’s Lisa apologised for wearing a braided hairstyle during an online call with a fan.