KUALA LUMPUR: J-Hope of K-Pop group BTS’ latest solo single with American singer Becky G, Chicken Noodle Soup, has been garnering some criticism from Netizens aside from the heaps of praise.
According to Koreaboo, the negative feedback came in response to the 25-year-old Korean idol’s hairstyle in part of the music video to the catchy hip hop track.
The dance scenes towards the end feature his locks rolled into gelled twists that look like dreadlocks and this has raised concerns about cultural appropriation.
Some observers have criticised it as appropriating black culture through fashion but fans including African American ones came to J-Hope’s defence by pointing out that his hair was gelled rather than braided into bona fide dreadlocks.
Other naysayers retorted with claims that previous K-Pop stars who had sported similar hairdos were called out in the past but when it came to their favourite BTS members, they took a “hypocritical” stance instead to make up excuses for them.
Some of J-Hope’s critics felt that the idol needed to be aware and educated on the issue of cultural appropriation.
Chicken Noodle Soup is a recreation of the hip hop track of the same name from 2006 by DJ Webstar featuring rappers Young B (Bianca Bonnie) and AG a.k.a. The Voice Of Harlem that was associated with a popular dance.
One Netizen ranted: “I don’t care if it’s gelled. It’s still appropriating black hairstyle. It’s styled to look like African-styled hair. On a recreation of a black song. J-Hope is a racist and Army (as the BTS fandom is known) need to call out their idol and educate him just like y’all did everyone else.”
But many others also praised J-Hope and Becky G for bringing the original Chicken Noodle Soup back into the spotlight, while providing multi-cultural people of colour representation.
The music video apparently features dancers from 50 different countries of varying ethnicities and features lyrics in Korean, Spanish and English.
One fan wrote: “I don’t think you understand how revolutionary it is that Chicken Noodle Soup, a Harlem-based song, was paid homage to by Becky G and J-Hope with Korean and Spanish lyrics intertwined within it and the music video? Filled with people of colour. Proud is not even the word!”
Apparently the song was one of the first that J-Hope danced to when he was much younger and it partly influenced him and fuelled his passion for dancing. Producing his own rendition now that he has become successful was a way to remind himself of his childhood.
Soompi reported that Bonnie and Webstar were both happy with the new track as well. In an Instagram story, Bonnie said: “The remake really is dope to me. Chicken Noodle Soup been out almost 15 years now. And it’s really really dope to me that, you know, that this new generation can even still tap into it so I think it’s amazing.”
Webstar also expressed his enthusiasm about the remake on Instagram with: “Nothing like getting a check when you least expect. Chicken Noodle Soup. Brand new coup.”
In a following video, he added: “You know, shout out to everybody who has been hitting me up about the Chicken Noodle Soup remake. Them kids did an amazing job. They doin’ the right thing.”