HYBE is facing criticism amid accusations from netizens suggesting the entertainment company is allegedly trying to associate itself with the recent success of Karina, a prominent member of the girl group aespa. Her song “UP,” which was a surprise release during aespa’s ongoing tour, quickly climbed the charts in South Korea, drawing both fan admiration and industry interest.

Why Are Netizens Pointing Fingers at HYBE?

On October 10, 2024, fans noticed a wave of posts appearing across various online communities, particularly on DC Gallery, all around the same time and with identical headlines. These posts reportedly read, “HYBE producers getting excited at Karina’s success,” sparking immediate interest and suspicion.

The text within these posts credited HYBE-affiliated producers like Slow Rabbit and PXPILLON as significant contributors to “UP.” While Karina is solely credited for the lyrics, these posts highlighted HYBE’s involvement in writing and producing the track, effectively linking the company to the song’s growing success.

What Did These Viral Posts Say?

Here’s one of the viral posts that began circulating:

Karina’s new song “UP” was released like a surprise event today. All of the writers are from HYBE. (They wrote ILLIT’s “Magnetic.”) The song is making an all-kill across all domestic charts within just 6 hours of release. The rise is so insane that it’s almost confirmed for first place. We’ll get the birth of a first place song from a girl group solo, six years after BLACKPINK’s Jennie.

— Viral post allegedly from HYBE

As the song continued its meteoric rise, netizens quickly questioned why HYBE appeared in these posts, as Karina’s popularity largely stems from her performance and persona, and most notably, her explosive dance challenges for “UP” that fans widely credit for fueling the track’s viral popularity.

Fan and Netizen Reactions to HYBE’s Alleged Involvement

Fans took to social media to express their reactions, with some calling HYBE’s association with “UP” both surprising and frustrating. Here are a few comments from popular online community theqoo:

•  So they want to crush aespa, but they also want to ride on their coattails LOL.
• Ah LOOOOL.
• This is hilarious hahaha.
• They’re so wishy-washy, this is so uncool of them LOL.
• Are they bipolar at this point? They want to crush her, but want to ride on her success. They want to beat her,, but they want to copy her.
• Ugh.
• Speechless.

These reactions reflect the sentiment of some fans who feel HYBE might be using the track’s success as a form of subtle brand promotion, despite being unaffiliated with aespa’s company, SM Entertainment.

The Phenomenal Success of “UP” and Karina’s Dance Challenges

Karina’s “UP” is experiencing impressive momentum across streaming platforms and music charts, setting records as one of the most successful solo releases by a girl group member since BLACKPINK’s Jennie. Her dance challenges have been some of the most popular uploads for aespa, showcasing her talents and strengthening her influence in the industry.

You can watch Karina’s performance for “UP” below.

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