Controversy Surrounds “Kiss of Life”’s Hip-Hop-Themed Event; Long-Standing Cultural Appropriation Issues Resurface in K-pop Industry

K-pop girl group Kiss of Life faced criticism over cultural appropriation during an event themed around hip-hop culture. On April 2, a YouTube livestream celebrating member Julie’s 29th birthday under the theme of “old school hip-hop vibes” drew severe backlash from international fans. During the event, the four members were accused of wearing styles closely associated with Black culture, such as cornrows and gold chains, and imitating stereotypical behaviors of Black rappers. Belle, a Korean-American member from Seattle, USA, was referred to by the nickname “Lil Taco Belle,” and fans as well as online communities criticized this as “using Black culture for entertainment purposes.” ## Evidence of Anticipated Criticism Belle appeared to be aware of potential criticism when she asked fans in a message sent before the livestream to promise not to leave their fandom after watching it. This statement only intensified fan outrage. ## Agency Apology and Ongoing Criticism Their management company, S2 Entertainment, issued an official statement on April 3, saying, “We want to address the issues caused by the uploaded content. We sincerely apologize for causing discomfort to viewers. The original purpose of the content was to celebrate hip-hop culture, which has greatly influenced Kiss of Life’s music. However, we apologize for failing to fully recognize that our content could be perceived as having negative cultural implications. The members and the group promise to approach cultural references with greater caution and respect going forward.” The livestream was removed from their official social media accounts, and on April 6, Kiss of Life posted a handwritten apology on their X (formerly Twitter) account. Despite these apologies, criticism continued among international fans. One Black female fan wrote on X, “I refuse to listen to their music anymore. As a Black woman, I cannot support such rude behavior.” ## Long-Standing Cultural Sensitivity Issues in the K-pop Industry The controversy surrounding Kiss of Life has brought to light long-standing cultural sensitivity problems within the K-pop industry. It is argued that K-pop has borrowed heavily from African-American culture but has lacked proper credit or acknowledgment. As the industry’s fanbase and artists have become more diverse than before, ongoing lack of cultural sensitivity is facing even stronger criticism. Kiss of Life is a rising group that gained attention in 2024 with their single “Igloo.” This song accumulated over 141.9 million streams on Spotify, reached position 128 on the Billboard Top 200, and created a viral dance trend on TikTok. The four members—Natty, Julie, Hanuel, and Belle—faced this controversy despite their international fame.