▲ NewJeans ⓒ Ador

The plagiarism dispute between K-pop girl group NewJeans and British band Shakatak is showing signs of becoming prolonged.

On Friday, Shakatak announced on its official account on the social platform X that it has hired a musicologist to analyze the similarities between its 1981 song “Easier Said Than Done” and NewJeans’ latest hit, “Bubble Gum.”

“To all our fans and friends in Korea, thank you for all your comments about the usage of ‘Easier Said Than Done’ in several recent songs. Our publishing company Wise Music Group is on the case and has employed a musicologist to take this further. We will keep you posted,” Shakatak stated. 

▲ The album cover of 'The best of Shakatak'
This move comes in response to a request by Ador, NewJeans’ agency, for a credible report substantiating the plagiarism allegations made by Wise Music Group, Shakatak’s publishing company.

On Wednesday, the London-based company that holds the copyright to "Easier Said Than Done" sent a certified letter to Ador, claiming that “Bubble Gum” uses rhythms and melodies identical to those of the British song, as well as similar tempos.

Ador denied the allegations and informed local reporters on Thursday that its legal team had requested Wise Music Group for a credible report to substantiate the claims and that Shakatak has agreed to do so.

“Bubble Gum,” released on May 24, was jointly composed by Korean music producer 250, British music producer Oscar Bell, and American music producer Sophie Simmons.

Sayart / Chloe Kim, 2022chloe.k@gmil.com