Lee Gikwang, new song concept ‘plagiarism suspicion’

Singer Lee Gikwang was caught up in suspicions of plagiarism. The new album concept was problematic. It is pointed out that it is similar to the atmosphere of junior Taemin's solo album. Because of the ‘similarity of genre,’ the props used in the album are also the same. Lee Gikwang prepared his album with greed. It faced backlash from the very beginning.

Recently, Lee Kikwang returned with his new album ‘Predator’. Lee Kikwang debuted as AJ in 2009. Afterwards, he worked as a member of a group that changed its name from BEAST to Highlight. I've only been doing group activities so far, so it's been about 14 years since I've been solo. This is his first solo album since being discharged from the military. Lee Kikwang introduced this album as something he was personally very greedy for.

On the 17th, Lee Kikwang held a showcase to commemorate the release of his solo album 'Predator'. On this day, he expressed his thoughts, saying, "After four years of discharge from the military, I returned as a solo artist. I have a sense of responsibility and a heavy burden on my shoulders." He also explained, “I paid attention to the diversity of the album,” and added, “It took a long time to compose 12 songs because I thought about how I could show Lee Gikwang as a developed artist.”

Contrary to Lee Gikwang's deep concerns, 'suspicion of plagiarism' arose. It is similar to SHINee member Taemin's solo album 'Advice'.

‘Predator’ is based on synthwave, and ‘Advice’ is based on the R&B genre. They were released in May 2021 and April 2023, respectively. 'Predator' is a predator of love who cannot escape from the charm that keeps falling in love with him even if he tries to escape. 'Advice' is a theme of warning to those who are obsessed with stereotypes and judge others.

Similar parts of the concept photos of the two albums made fans tilt their heads. He wore a black mask and decorated it with chains. The fact that he went topless or had full body tattoos. In particular, in the case of tattoos, the style of tattoos that look like they were painted with a paint brush and the tattoos in the shape of flowers, flames, and spider webs are all similar.

In addition, the wearing of a white crop top, medieval swords, and clothes of the same color reminiscent of a construction site raised suspicions of plagiarism. Regarding this, the agency Around Us Entertainment has not revealed its position.

He revealed that he wanted to show the artist Lee Gikwang, not the group. Since it was announced that there was interest in the album in general, a clear explanation seems necessary. This is because there is a significant amount of overlap that can be packaged as ‘similarity of genre’.

Attention is being paid to how far Lee Ki-kwang's controversy will spread. Lee Gikwang is the first member to release a solo album among the Highlight members. Suspicions of plagiarism from the beginning are enough to have a negative impact. A clear answer is needed as to whether it was Lee Gikwang's own excessive greed or the misplaced concerns of some people.

Reporter Junho Yoon, Ten Asia delo410@tenasia.co.kr