The KATSEYE girl group, which is a project of the same management as BTS, received heavy criticism from their fans regarding the tracklist reveal of their upcoming EP ‘WILD’, for the song design being too similar to BTS’s recent comeback. The debate flared this week after fans compared the two tracklists and voiced concerns about the label’s creative approach, bringing social media to a boil and drawing fans’ attention back to the label.
ARMY criticised the label after comparing the visual presentation of KATSEYE’s ‘WILD’ tracklist with BTS’s ‘ARIRANG’ artwork.Image credit (Instagram)
In March, when BTS revealed the tracklist for ‘ARIRANG’ with 14 songs, the graphic was a huge talking point where fans marveled at its memorable creative direction. The design incorporated the album’s vibrant colour scheme, with each title of the tracks in black letters on overlapping strips of red tape, making it an album that was much talked about in fan communities.
KATSEYE’s ‘WILD’ tracklist design mirrors BTS’s ‘ARIRANG’ concept
This week, KATSEYE announced the tracklist for ‘WILD’, which features six songs including recent singles “Animal” and “Pinky Up.” However, while many fans were eagerly speculating about B-sides, others were quick to note that the graphic looked familiar to BTS’s design. The similarities were immediately apparent to observers: both tracklists featured black-on-red styling, a plain-color textured background, and similar sans-serif fonts, creating an undeniable visual parallel between the two releases. ARMY, the fanbase of BTS, soon flooded social media to slam the label over the apparent copying. Many fans accused KATSEYE’s team of outright plagiarism, with heated reactions dominating online conversations. One fan wrote, “Bro there’s absolutely no way this is real please tell me this isn’t real what the fuck is that dumbass company DOING bro.” Another expressed disbelief, writing, “THIS CANNOT BE REAL??????????????”
Fans react with frustration to design similarities
The criticism extended to broader commentary on the label’s creative approach. One user sarcastically noted, “In 6 months everyone will have a similar concept to arirang guess how many months have passed LMFAO IM DEAD”, highlighting frustration with what many perceived as a lack of originality. The backlash intensified as more fans joined in expressing their disappointment with what they saw as a blatant replication of BTS’s distinctive visual branding. The dispute over creative independence and originality was raised with the label in view of both groups working under the same label. There was some skepticism among fans about whether KATSEYE had enough creative freedom or if the label was using the same hit concepts on their artists. The whole incident brought up a wider discussion on the issue of the integrity of art and the value of original creative directions in a competitive K-pop market.‘WILD’ is set to release on August 14, though the plagiarism accusations may cast a shadow over the EP’s debut as the controversy continues to circulate on social media platforms.