SEOUL – The plagiarism dispute between K-pop girl group NewJeans and British jazz-funk band Shakatak appears to be escalating. Shakatak, founded in 1980, announced on their official account on social platform X that they have hired a musicologist to analyze the similarities between their 1981 song “Easier Said Than Done” and NewJeans’ recent hit “Bubble Gum.”
“Bubble Gum,” released on May 24, was jointly composed by South Korean music producer 250, British music producer Oscar Bell, and American music producer Sophie Simmons.
“To all our fans and friends in Korea, thank you for your comments about the usage of ‘Easier Said Than Done’ in several recent songs,” Shakatak wrote on July 19. “Our publishing company Wise Music Group is on the case and has employed a musicologist to take this further.”
This statement was a response to Ador, NewJeans’ agency, which had requested a credible report substantiating the plagiarism allegations made by Wise Music Group. Last week, South Korean newspaper Munhwa Ilbo reported that the London-based company, which holds the copyright to “Easier Said Than Done,” sent a certified letter to Ador on June 17, claiming that “Bubble Gum” used rhythms and melodies identical to those in Shakatak’s song, as well as similar tempos.
Ador denied the allegations and informed South Korean media on July 18 that its legal team had asked Wise Music Group for a credible report to substantiate the claims on June 21, to which Shakatak had agreed. Ador addressed the plagiarism claim in a new statement posted on Instagram on July 23.
“The songwriters who wrote ‘Bubble Gum’ responded that they had never heard the song ‘Easier Said Than Done’ before the complaint was raised and therefore they could not have used Shakatak’s music without permission,” the agency said.
Ador added that it has also commissioned a professional analysis from two renowned musicologists from other countries.
“’Bubble Gum’ and ‘Easier Said Than Done’ differ in their chord progressions, their bpm (beats per minute), and in their feeling and movement,” Ador wrote.
“Tellingly, it was deemed that the claim of unauthorized use over something so simple as a melody where a single bar sounds similar is a complete misrepresentation of the truth.
“It is, however, also difficult to argue that this particular melody is unique to ‘Easier Said Than Done’ because it’s one that was in common use in pop songs of all sub-genres before ‘Easier Said Than Done,’ and one that remains common today.”
Ador, recently involved in a public dispute with its parent company Hybe, also criticized Hybe in the statement for their handling of the issue.
“Despite the highly sensitive nature of the issue, Hybe disseminated the contents across departments without our consent, involving a far greater number of people than was necessary,” Ador wrote. “Moreover, not only did Hybe not look to work closely alongside us to handle the issue and minimize negative press coverage, but they also demonstrated a lukewarm and even passive attitude towards the issue.”