On an online forum, viewers compared the beat in ILLIT's "IYKYK," a B-side track from the group's latest album "I'll Like You," to the same melody and rhythm as the unreleased demo NewJeans.
This song was first revealed by Min Hee Jin at the "2024 Hyundai Card Da Vinci Motel" event last September.
According to some netizens, the two tracks have "almost identical" rhythms, especially when comparing NewJeans' demo to ILLIT's instrumental version of the song.
Some people even commented that it would be "impossible to tell which song belongs to which group" when listening with your eyes closed and without any prior information.
This controversy is adding to the ongoing dispute between Min Hee Jin, NewJeans, and ILLIT under HYBE. The tension stems from Min Hee Jin's previous plagiarism accusations against HYBE's BELIFT producers.
On the other hand, many people also called for caution on NewJeans' side, advising against "jumping to conclusions" until music experts step in. One netizen suggested that the songs might sound similar simply because they both use British garage beats.
