I-DLE Faces Backlash Over Teaser Images, Accused of Plagiarizing Red Velvet’s Concept

I-DLE, the Cube Entertainment girl group, has been under fire since dropping the “G” from their name, with controversies following them every step of the way. Their latest controversy comes from the teaser images for their upcoming album “We Are,” where the group has been accused of plagiarizing Red Velvet’s Seulgi.

I-DLE vs Seulgi’s Solo Concept

Earlier this month, I-DLE released a special album featuring remakes of their old title tracks with former member Soojin’s parts removed. This move sparked backlash, as fans felt it was unnecessary and disrespectful, especially since Soojin has since launched her solo career. However, the group’s comeback teasers for “We Are” have sparked even more controversy.

In the teasers, many fans quickly pointed out the striking resemblance between I-DLE’s visuals and Seulgi’s solo concept for “Accidentally, On Purpose.” The styling of I-DLE’s Minnie and Soyeon has raised eyebrows, with fans accusing the group of copying Seulgi’s aesthetic.

A Clear Mirror of Seulgi’s Styling?

Minnie’s teaser images have attracted the most attention. In one shot, she is seen wearing a blue fur jacket, sporting dark, wavy hair, bold makeup, and pointed heels — a look that closely mirrors Seulgi’s styling during her solo promotions. The overall mood of the teasers, described as soft-grunge, also echoes the tone Seulgi embraced for her “Accidentally, On Purpose” comeback.

Soyeon’s teaser images have also fueled the controversy. In her teasers, she is seen around a car, both inside and outside, wearing a pink scarf. This scene closely mirrors Seulgi’s own car-themed teaser images, where she sported pink fur sleeves. Fans are questioning whether this similarity is purely coincidental or if I-DLE has drawn too much inspiration from Seulgi’s solo concept.

Same Promotion Method as Red Velvet’s Cosmic?

The controversy has escalated further, with fans highlighting other promotional methods that seem to mirror Red Velvet’s. These include uploading teaser images to Google Drive and adding subtle hints in the photos.

Red Velvet fans argue that there is a clear distinction between drawing inspiration and outright copying. Given the numerous similarities, it’s inevitable that suspicions and debates have emerged.

As debate rages online, fans are eagerly awaiting the full release of We Are to see whether the rest of the comeback will further fuel or quiet the criticism.