French Singer Yseult Accuses K-Pop Collaboration of Copying Her Music Video
Paris Artist Calls Out âDamdadiâ for Visual Similarities to Her Work
French singer and songwriter Yseult, known for her bold artistry and unapologetic expression of identity, has accused the creative team behind the recent K-pop release âDamdadiââa track produced by R.Tee and featuring (G)I-DLE's Soyeonâof copying visuals and concepts from her 2021 music video âBitch You Could Never.â The accusation, made public through Yseultâs social media channels earlier this week, has sparked a flurry of debate across both the French and Korean music industries.
Yseult alleged that key scenes in âDamdadiâ mirrored the visuals of her video almost âframe for frame.â She expressed disappointment that her work, which she described as a deeply personal representation of power and vulnerability as a Black woman in the French music scene, had been replicated without credit or acknowledgment. The accusations have reignited long-standing discussions about cultural appropriation, artistic borrowing, and the protection of independent creators in a globalized entertainment landscape.
Yseultâs Statement and the Public Response
Yseult took to Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) to outline her grievances, posting side-by-side screenshots comparing the two videos. She emphasized what she viewed as identical stylistic choicesâsuch as the use of minimalist white backdrops, slow-motion choreography emphasizing bodily expression, and intimate close-up framingâthat she and her directors had developed to communicate empowerment and defiance.
âIndependent Black artists are constantly seeing their work co-opted by larger entities with more visibility,â Yseult wrote in one of her posts. She also called on the collaborators behind âDamdadiâ to acknowledge what she considers clear inspiration drawn from her art.
The post quickly went viral, garnering hundreds of thousands of views and sparking extensive online discussion under hashtags related to artistic credit, media ethics, and fairness in global music production. Many international fans supported Yseultâs stance, echoing frustration at how mainstream acts often benefit from the aesthetics and innovation of marginalized artists. Others argued that visual similarities in music videos are common across genres and do not necessarily prove direct imitation.
Behind-the-Scenes Footage Offers Another Perspective
Amid the controversy, previously unreleased footage from the âDamdadiâ shoot surfaced on Korean social media platforms and fan forums. The footage, reportedly taken from an official behind-the-scenes documentary, shows Soyeon discussing her participation in the project. In her remarks, Soyeon clarifies that she neither wrote the track nor directed the concept, explaining that her role was limited to performing as instructed by the production team.
This revelation has prompted many followers to defend Soyeon, maintaining that as a featured artist, she bears little creative control over the music videoâs visual direction. Instead, they have redirected scrutiny toward the projectâs producers, visual director, and label executives.
Supporters of Soyeon have flooded Yseultâs comment sections urging her to withdraw criticism specifically aimed at the Korean idol, emphasizing that she was only an interpreter of the creative vision. They argue that responsibility, if any, lies with the individuals who oversaw the conceptâs planning and execution.
Historical Context: Copyright Challenges in the Visual Music Industry
Accusations of visual plagiarism in music videos are far from new. In the digital streaming era, where international influences blend rapidly and creative boundaries blur, disputes over originality have become increasingly common. Artists including BeyoncĂ©, FKA twigs, and RosalĂa have faced similar claims when their videos appeared to reference independent visual artistsâ work.
Historically, the global music video industry has often evolved through shared referencesâborrowing elements from cinema, fashion, and performance art. But as social media enables artists to archive and circulate their creations more widely, instances of uncredited influence have become more visible, leading to renewed scrutiny over who owns creative ideas and how visual inspiration should be acknowledged.
Yseultâs case touches on the intersection of these issues, combining concerns about artistic integrity, racial dynamics, and the power imbalance between global entertainment industries and independent creators.
The Rise of Yseult and Her Artistic Vision
Yseult has built a reputation for rejecting industry expectations and redefining what it means to be a pop artist in France. Emerging from the French version of Pop Idol in 2013, she quickly pivoted away from commercial pop toward a darker, more avant-garde sound marked by cinematic production and themes of identity, body politics, and resilience.
Her video âBitch You Could Neverââthe work at the center of the controversyâwas celebrated by critics as a daring, minimalist performance piece that fused high fashion and emotional vulnerability. Its stark imagery and deliberate pacing underscored Yseultâs control over her own image, a point she reiterated in her statements this week. For Yseult, the accusation is not only about aesthetics but about authorship and acknowledgment in a space that often overlooks independent female creators of color.
The Korean Production Under Scrutiny
âDamdadi,â on the other hand, marks producer R.Teeâs latest collaboration with major K-pop figures. Known for his work with acts under YG Entertainment and his genre-blending electronic style, R.Tee sought to combine sleek visuals with an experimental sound that merges house rhythms and Korean rap verses. Soyeon, a member of (G)I-DLE and one of Koreaâs most prominent young songwriters, lent her voice and charisma to the trackâa move that drew immediate global attention upon release in September 2025.
While the music video for âDamdadiâ was praised initially for its slick production and minimalist aesthetics, the recent accusations have shifted public perception. Fans have begun combing through both videos, producing side-by-side comparisons highlighting common motifsâmirrored choreography, lighting schemes, and costume choices. The visual director and label, however, have not issued any official responses, fueling speculation about the creative process behind the video.
Economic and Industry Implications
Beyond artistic concerns, the dispute carries significant implications for both the French and South Korean music industries. France has seen a resurgence of independent Black and North African musicians in recent years, many of whom operate without the support of major labels yet influence visual and sonic trends across Europe. Yseultâs international following, especially within art and fashion circles, has positioned her as a symbol of creative autonomy.
In contrast, South Koreaâs tightly structured K-pop system typically centralizes control within entertainment companies, where visual direction, production concepts, and choreography are often determined by large teams of creatives. If Yseultâs claims gain traction, the situation could reignite debate about how K-pop producers source visual inspiration abroad and the degree to which international aesthetics are borrowed, sometimes without explicit acknowledgment.
Economically, this debate matters. A single viral accusation can shape audience perception and affect streaming performance. With âDamdadiâ accumulating millions of views on YouTube and streaming platforms just days after release, questions about its originality could influence marketing strategies, sponsorships, and cross-industry collaborations between Europe and Asia.
Comparisons to Past Global Incidents
Past years have seen comparable controversiesâsuch as when American and European artists accused K-pop acts of visual or conceptual imitation. However, not all disputes result in lawsuits or formal claims; often, they fade into cultural conversation as cautionary tales about creative overlap in a globalized art market.
In 2021, for instance, a Scandinavian artist alleged that a major Western pop star had copied key elements from her avant-garde video, but the issue resolved privately after mutual acknowledgment. Similarly, visual directors in Seoul and Paris have previously clashed over stylistic similarities rooted more in shared aesthetic trends than in deliberate imitation.
Yseultâs accusations reenter this pattern but with renewed intensity, owing to her direct commentary on racial and cultural erasure and her status as an independent woman artist confronting one of the worldâs most industrialized entertainment machines.
Ongoing Silence from the Production Team
As of this writing, neither producer R.Tee nor the âDamdadiâ production company has issued an official statement. Representatives from (G)I-DLEâs management have refrained from comment, directing inquiries to R.Teeâs label instead. Industry observers note that silence may be strategic, as any formal acknowledgment of similarity could imply liability or provoke backlash from both domestic and international fans.
Insiders within the Korean entertainment sector say that disputes of this nature are typically resolved through informal channels unless direct legal claims are filed. Still, public opinionâespecially within the global fan communityâcan exert enough pressure to prompt a response. In France, several cultural critics have urged local arts institutions to stand by Yseult, framing her complaint as part of a broader effort to protect independent artistry in the face of commercialization.
Broader Questions About Creative Ownership
This episode underscores enduring questions about cultural exchange and creative authorship in an era when artistic influence travels quickly through algorithm-driven platforms. The global pop landscape thrives on interconnectivity, yet that same connectivity complicates notions of originality and credit. For artists like Yseult, who operate outside major label systems, protecting creative ideas becomes a challenge of visibility as much as legality.
As debates continue online, both fans and creators await a response from the âDamdadiâ production team. Whether this incident ends with acknowledgment, collaboration, or silence, it has already rekindled a vital conversation in global music: when inspiration crosses borders, who gets to claim ownership over the image?