BLACKPINK’s Lisa’s solo comeback ‘ROCKSTAR’ reportedly faces plagiarism accusations from a Chinese designer

BLACKPINK's Lisa released her comeback solo single, ROCKSTAR, on June 28, 2024. However, the single got embroiled in a plagiarism controversy. According to a Chinese fashion designer, Yang Yue, the Thai rapper and dancer from BLACKPINK allegedly copied her apparel design.

The artist is seen wearing a black star-shaped leather crop top in her latest music video. Beijing-based fashion designer and cosmetics artist, Yang Yue, posted on the Chinese social networking site, Xiaohongshu, about it. She stated that the design embodies the essence of rock, while the star represents Beijing.

Furthermore, Yang Yue's design has a skirt attached to the top as seen in her shared images. However, Lisa's crop top from the video did not have that addition. Yang Yue shared images of the design process to prove that the design was her own.

The post went viral online and trended on Weibo, amassing over 130 million views.

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Beijing designer Yang Yue says she tried to contact Lisa's company, LLOUD

Yang Yue claimed she has been attempting to get in touch with Lisa's stylist but has not heard back. Notably, her star-themed design was first available in red with hand-painted designs, then in black, green, and blue-dyed leather. She created the design in 2020.

Yang Yue claimed that several people had copied her star-shaped design. She shared screenshots of several artists such as aespa's Ningning, a Chinese vocalist from the South Korean girl group wearing her design.

Yang Yue also shared screenshots of websites where the "rip-off" versions of her designs were being sold for much cheaper prices.

The designer mentioned that she had previously attempted to get the copyright for her works. However, due to a lengthy and expensive procedure, she failed to get the copyright.

Yang posted on Instagram:

"For the past few years I tried to sue or report on the product but getting a copyright for this design is both time and money-consuming.[...] Especially I was designing and making in London while most of the other “inspired” pieces were made in other places, there are differences in law in different regions."

She further stated:

" Since yesterday I’ve been trying to contact the stylist who pulled pieces that I think are clearly a copy-paste of mine, but still, until now I have no response." (as translated by Instagram)

Furthermore, Yang Yue stated that Beijing's first heavy metal band, the Tang Dynasty, served as the inspiration for her design. She finished the design while pursuing her master's degree at the University of the Arts London.

She stated that a fake PR staff sent her an apology email on June 27, stating that Lisa wore the ensemble just because the "star shape is her favorite." Yang Yue further wrote in her Instagram post:

"After voicing out on the Chinese platform and here on Instagram, I have also received fake PR team messages from fans and threatening comments on xiaohongshu."

Several of Lisa's fans commented on Yang Yue's Instagram post and stated that the star shape design is "universal" and that she should contact the stylists to get the issue sorted.

However, many shared the Instagram usernames of Lisa's stylists in the comments to help her contact while a few stated that they witnessed her create the design first in 2020. Many even sympathized with Yang Yue for her plight.

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In other news, Lisa's ROCKSTAR official music video earned two million views within 24 hours of its release. It is the biggest debut on YouTube by a K-pop act in 2024.