French star Yseult has raised concerns over striking similarities in Korean singer-producer R.Tee's music video for "DAMDADI."
The clip, created by R.Tee with I-DLE's SOYEON, is being compared to Yseult's "B*TCH YOU COULD NEVER" visual, which the French artist says was effectively copied shot for shot.
In "DAMDADI," the artist strides down an office-like hallway, grabs a male employee's tie, topples warehouse shelves, and dances alongside office staff―moments that mirror specific scenes from "B*TCH YOU COULD NEVER."
Yseult's fans condemned the video online, writing, "They literally stole her entire music video. This copy-and-paste is gross. The K-pop industry has been vampirizing Black culture for years."
In response, director Hong Min-ho, who helmed "DAMDADI," said on the 14th, "I have deep respect for the filmmakers who've worked with Yseult, and that admiration naturally influenced several visual ideas on this project. I sincerely apologize for moments that ended up directly resembling the originals."
Hong added, "The concept and direction of the music video were entirely my responsibility. SOYEON and R.Tee were not involved in setting the creative direction or choosing references."
Born in 1994, Yseult won Best New Artist at France's top music awards, Victoires de la Musique, in 2021. She further cemented her global profile with a soaring rendition of "My Way" at the Paris 2024 Olympics closing ceremony.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)