Netizens are buzzing about the similarities between ILLIT's new song and an unreleased NewJeans demo track.

On an online forum, users compared the beats in ILLIT's "IYKYK," a B-side track from their latest album, 'I'LL LIKE YOU.' Many noted that the melody and rhythm closely resemble an unreleased NewJeans demo, first revealed by Min Hee Jin at the '2024 Hyundai Card Da Vinci Motel' event in September.

According to some netizens, the two tracks share beats that sound "almost exactly the same," particularly when comparing NewJeans' demo to the instrumental of ILLIT's song. Some even remarked that it would be "impossible to tell which song belongs to which group" when listening with eyes closed and without any prior knowledge.

This controversy is fueling the ongoing dispute between Min Hee Jin and NewJeans on one side, and ILLIT under HYBE Labels on the other. The tension dates back to previous plagiarism accusations made by Min Hee Jin against BELIFT's producers.

Meanwhile, others are urging caution, advising against "jumping to conclusions" until music professionals weigh in. One netizen suggested that the songs might sound similar simply because they both use a UK garage beat.

Here are some of the reactions:

"Many people would have freaked out if Min Hee Jin hadn’t released it in advance and NewJeans came out with a song using that beat."

"The beat is exactly the same, right? I saw the lecture, and it was almost fully revealed. I thought there was a reason, and sure enough."

"There’s a reason why Min Hee Jin released it first."

"If you listen to the instrumental, it really sounds similar."

"Wow… it flows seamlessly without any awkwardness."

"Why do you think Min Hee Jin released everything so openly? Because she knew those guys would act like that."

"The beat is similar."

"Both have a UK garage beat, so I think that’s why they sound similar."

"Huh… If you're going to criticize it as forced, then what am I supposed to do when it sounds exactly the same to me? What’s going on?"

"If Min Hee Jin hadn’t released it first, they would have definitely accused NewJeans of plagiarism when they released a song with this beat. They always do that."

"The beat is similar, but the melody doesn’t have the NewJeans vibe at all, so even if NewJeans came out with that song, it would sound completely different."

"It’s similar…"

"It seems like they released it on purpose."

"I think I understand why they went ahead and released it first, haha. Imagine if ILLIT had released it first this time and later NewJeans came out with a similar melody. You can imagine the reaction, haha."

"But the demo sounds much better. Why is that?"

"This is really too much… Do they have to go this far copying?"

"They knew it was leaked and then released it. Wow, they’re blatantly copying."

"This is no joke…"

What are your opinions?

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