KISS OF LIFE, the rising 5th-gen K-pop girl group, is facing online backlash after member Natty covered BLACKPINK’s Jennie’s song.

On September 16, KISS OF LIFE, known for their mature and empowering concept, drew attention with their latest cover.

Despite their growing fame, the group has faced criticism for being compared to BLACKPINK, with Natty, in particular, being labeled a “Lisa copy.”

Before joining KISS OF LIFE, Natty was already known to K-pop fans for participating in survival shows and attempting to join groups like TWICE and fromis_9. She debuted as a solo artist but remained relatively unknown until joining KISS OF LIFE.

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Natty, who is Thai like BLACKPINK’s Lisa, is often compared to her due to their similar backgrounds and impressive dance skills.

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Recently, Natty’s cover of “Black,” a song from G-Dragon’s album featuring Jennie, went viral but received mixed reactions. Jennie, known as the “YG Princess,” originally featured on the track before BLACKPINK’s debut.

The cover drew criticism because “Black” is an iconic song, and Natty’s rendition was scrutinized heavily. Critics pointed out that Natty’s voice lacked vibrato and uniqueness compared to Jennie’s. Some described her voice as thin and weak, with noticeable breathing and nasal sounds.

Netizens were divided, with some harshly criticizing Natty’s cover and others defending her. Fans of KISS OF LIFE argued that the cover was meant as a tribute and that the backlash was unfair.

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IVE is on fire, winning big even when the odds are against them!

On January 30, IVE (Ahn Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, Jang Wonyoung, Liz, and Leeseo) made waves by taking home their fifth music show win with their pre-release song “Rebel Heart.” Despite M Countdown being off the air and replaced with a highlight show, IVE still claimed the top spot for the final week of January.

The show revealed the winner at the end, and to everyone’s surprise, IVE secured their second consecutive #1 victory!

This major achievement marks a historic milestone for the group, reaching five music show wins with just their pre-release track.

Fans, known as DIVE, couldn’t be more excited, and IVE couldn’t be more grateful. In a statement from Starship Entertainment, the group expressed, "It feels like a surprise gift right before our official comeback. We've only had happy moments promoting 'Rebel Heart,' and we're so thankful for this 1st place win."

They went on to add, "Starting from February 3, we will bring even more happiness to DIVE. The title track 'Attitude' we will release then is a song that we all really love, and we hope DIVE will look forward to it."

“Rebel Heart,” released on January 13, is the pre-release track for IVE’s third mini-album IVE EMPATHY, which will drop on February 3. The song has already been making waves on both domestic and international music charts. It continues to perform well on Billboard, landing at 51st on Billboard Global Excl. U.S. and 97th on Billboard Global 200 as of February 1.

But it’s not just chart success that’s getting attention! The “Rebel Heart” dance challenge on TikTok has taken the internet by storm, with the members’ dance challenge videos collectively surpassing 24.96 million views with just two posts.

Additionally, viral challenges like the emoji challenge and the band challenge—where popular Korean bands perform the chorus of “Rebel Heart” in their own style—have sparked enthusiastic responses from fans all over the world.

With their official comeback just around the corner, IVE is poised for even greater success. Get ready for IVE EMPATHY and the double title tracks, including “Attitude,” coming on February 3.

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