Bubble Gum (NewJeans song)
NewJeans B-side released May 2024; subject of copyright claim.
NewJeans, a South Korean girl group that debuted in 2022, saw their international breakthrough in 2023 with the single album OMG and the EP Get Up. Their track "Bubble Gum" came out on May 24, 2024, through ADOR as a B-side on their second single album How Sweet. The group started promoting the song on April 27, 2024, with a music video posted to YouTube. The single album itself hit number one on South Korea's charts.
The song is a pop and R&B piece with lyrics in both English and Korean. Its music video, directed by Youngeum Lee, amassed over six million views within 15 hours of release. It shows the members enjoying a summer day—blowing bubbles, making friendship bracelets, crafting balloon animals, and playing with soap bubbles and marbles in various settings. A snippet of a Japanese version of "Bubble Gum" appeared on April 8, 2024, after being used in a Japanese TV ad for Kao's Essential hair care brand and as the theme song for a morning show.
Commercially, before its official release, "Bubble Gum" entered the Billboard Hits of the World chart for South Korea at number 15 and the Billboard Global Excl. US chart at number 166 for the week of May 11, 2024. It also topped YouTube Korea's popular music video and popular song categories.
In July 2024, British jazz-funk band Shakatak claimed that "Bubble Gum" infringed the copyright of their 1981 song "Easier Said Than Done". Through their publisher, Wise Music Group, they sent a letter to ADOR, HYBE, the Korea Music Copyright Association, and Sony Music Publishing Hong Kong, arguing that the songs share similar melodies, rhythms, instrumentation, harmonic progression, and tempo. They requested that use of "Bubble Gum" stop and that compensation be paid.
ADOR denied the allegations, saying it had responded to the legal notice on June 21 on behalf of the songwriters, asserting that "Bubble Gum" did not unlawfully use Shakatak's composition. The agency asked Wise Music Group to provide a "credible analysis report" to support the claims, stating the burden of proof lay with the accuser. After ADOR's response, Shakatak announced that Wise Music Group had hired a musicologist to examine the similarities and said it would continue pursuing the matter.
On July 23, ADOR released a detailed statement reiterating that the songwriters had not been familiar with "Easier Said Than Done" before the allegations.
Quick Facts
- Field
- K-pop
- Nationality
- South Korean
- Known for
- Song 'Bubble Gum' and copyright dispute with Shakatak
Facts from the source article.
Background
"Bubble Gum" is a pop and R&B track with lyrics in English and Korean. The music video, directed by Youngeum Lee, was released on April 27, 2024, and gained over six million views in 15 hours. It shows the members enjoying a summer day, blowing bubbles, weaving friendship bracelets, making balloon animals, and playing with soap bubbles and marbles. A snippet of the Japanese version was featured on Japanese television in April 2024 as part of a Kao advertisement and as a theme song for a morning show.
In July 2024, British jazz-funk band Shakatak alleged that "Bubble Gum" infringed the copyright of their 1981 song "Easier Said Than Done". Through publisher Wise Music Group, Shakatak sent a letter of claim to ADOR, HYBE, the Korea Music Copyright Association, and Sony Music Publishing Hong Kong, arguing similarities in melody, rhythm, instrumentation, harmony, and tempo, and requested cessation of use and compensation. ADOR denied the allegations, stating that the songwriters had not been familiar with "Easier Said Than Done" before the claims, and that independent musicological analyses commissioned before the dispute became public showed differences in chord progression, tempo, and overall musical character. ADOR also criticized selective media reporting amid its ongoing conflict with HYBE. As of the available information, no official analysis report has been made public, nor have claims proceeded to litigation.
More in Songs & Singles
Elsewhere in NewJeans
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced