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On Thursday, July 18, it was reported by Korean media outlet, Munhwa Ilbo, that the English Band Shakatak accused ADOR of plagiarism with NewJeans' track Bubble Gum.
The report stated that Shakatak's agency, WISE MUSIC GROUP, hired a law firm in South Korea in June and sent a Letter of Claim to six recipients that included ADOR, HYBE Labels, Sony Music Publishing, Korea Music Copyright Association, and more. The Letter of Claim expressed that NewJeans' latest track Bubble Gum shares several similarities to Shakatak's Easier Said Than Done.
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The agency also reported that no permission was acquired for the usage of Shakatak's song, and therefore, they put forth a list of demands as compensation. The demands included discontinuation of the song's sales, information on its profit, change in ownership, payment for the damages caused to Shakatak, and more.
Here's what the agency stated in its Letter of Claim which was sent on June 17:
"We have included detailed demands including the discontinued sale of 'Bubble Gum', the reporting of all profits from this work, a legal change in ownership, a seal, and payment for damages."
ADOR agency responds to Shakatak's plagiarism accusations with NewJeans' Bubble Gum
In the Letter of Claim, Shakatak's agency, WISE MUSIC GROUP expressed that there are several similarities between Bubble Gum and Easier Said Than Done.
Some of these alleged similarities include the same distinctive melody hook, similar instruments, similar rhythmic shapes, performed at almost identical tempo, very similar choice of harmony, and similar harmonic rhythm. Due to the same, the agency expressed that they need NewJeans Bubble Gum's sales to be discontinued and other compensations are needed to fix the issue.
"We have confirmed that the song 'Bubble Gum', composed and written by 250, Oscar Bell, Sophie Simmons, and Gigi and sung by NewJeans, is using components of the song 'Easier Said Than Done' by Shakatak without permission from WISE MUSIC GROUP. As a result, we demand immediate measures of response, including the discontinued sale of 'Bubble Gum'," stated the Letter of Claim.
However, ADOR responded to the report on June 21 by denying the plagiarism accusations. They stated that they had not used any of Shakatak's compositions without permission. Here's what the statement by a representative of the company read:
"This letter sent by Shakatak's legal representative was received and answered by the law firm representing the composers of 'Bubble Gum'. We do not believe that 'Bubble Gum' used Shakatak's composition without permission. We have demanded that Shakatak's side present a credible analytical report with clear evidence of the accused copyright infringement."
While WISE MUSIC GROUP had agreed to send the analytical report that proves the similarities between NewJeans' Bubble Gum and Shakatak's Easier Said Than Done, according to ADOR, they haven't responded yet. Therefore, fans and netizens have been patiently waiting to see how these allegations of plagiarism proceed in the future.
On the other hand, NewJeans recently rolled out their latest track, Bubble Gum as part of their second single album, How Sweet, which was released on May 24, 2024, at 1 PM KST. The album consisted of two songs, How Sweet and Bubble Gum.
