"If this is a diss track": The Weeknd, Travis Scott, and Bad Bunny spark debate among netizens as they announce their new song titled KPOP

On July 20, 2023, The Weeknd, Travis Scott, and Bad Bunny made a surprising announcement about their new collaborative song titled KPOP, which is set to be released within the next 24 hours. While new song releases from these renowned Western artists are always exciting for their fans, the news didn't sit well with the K-pop fandom. As the song hasn't been released yet, there is uncertainty about its trajectory, leading to debates among netizens.

Many fans are afraid that this might be a diss track mocking the K-pop industry, especially given that choice for the song cover design. However, some also defend the three artists saying that it could actually praise the industry or have a positive intention towards it. This becomes all the more true given The Weeknd's several interactions with the K-pop industry.

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Netizens debate as The Weeknd, Travis Scott, and Bad Bunny announced their new collaborative song titled, KPOP

As the announcement of the song release, KPOP landed on the internet, netizens have been enranged by several aspects of the song. Many expressed that The Weeknd, Travis Scott, and Bad Bunny's intentions to release a song titled, KPOP, are less likely in praise of it. While many are sure that it's about to be a diss track about the industry, what really offended many was the choice of cover design for the song.

The cover of the song has a red lollipop sitting on a white stick, and the cover's background also being white. The minimalist and non-usage of any other colors also showcases the three Western artists' focus on the only two colors present there, red and white. Many might realize that the combination of red and white evidently alludes to the Japanese flag, and people took offense with the same.

Those who're aware of Korea's historical background would be aware of the fact that Japan was the country's colonizer. According to historical records, Korea majorly suffered at the hands of its Japanese superiors, and left the country in a bad state at the end of their rule, much like other colonization narratives.

Given that it still stands as a sensitive topic to many Koreans, netizens felt that The Weeknd, Travis Scott, and Bad Bunny choosing such a design for their new song titled KPOP, was a bad move. However, people also have opinions with respect to if the song turns out not to be a diss track.

The Weeknd has involved himself with K-pop frequently, where he not only co-starred with BLACKPINK's Jennie in The Idol but also often posts about listening to K-pop songs. However, netizens believe that the artist might be doing it in order to monetize on K-pop's popularity, gain relevancy by releasing controversial songs about the industry, and also bag the K-pop fandom as his own.

Additionally, given that Travis Scott and Bad Bunny have little to no interaction with the K-pop industry, netizens are skeptical about their participation and are quite uncomfortable about the same. Regardless, while it's hard for many to stop themselves from criticizing the three Western artists, they wait for its official release to make a clearer judgment.