A music video directed for R.Tee, the singer-producer, has come under fire for allegedly resembling a work by French singer Yseult. The controversy prompted the MV director to issue a formal apology.
On October 11th KST, Yseult took to social media to accuse the music video for R.Tee’s track “Damdadi” of copying her own music video for “Bitch You Could Never.” She pointed out several visual similarities between the two videos, including the office setting, a scene where bookshelves fall over, and a moment where a male actor’s tie is pulled.
“I just watched R.Tee’s ‘Damdadi’ music video,” she wrote. “It’s a copy of my ‘Bitch You Could Never’ video. The least the director, label, artist, and everyone involved could do is have the decency to give credit to the source.”
She further criticized the K-pop industry for absorbing elements of Black culture without giving proper acknowledgment or credit. She urged creators to stop stealing from Black artists and acting as if they bear no responsibility for it.
Amid growing backlash, Hong Min Ho, director of the “Damdadi” music video, issued a public apology on social media.
“I sincerely apologize to Yseult and her team for causing discomfort,” he wrote. He acknowledged that he was indeed inspired by Yseult’s work and her collaborative directors, whom he said he has long admired.
However, Hong emphasized that the concept and direction of the “Damdadi” MV were entirely his own responsibility, stating that neither R.Tee nor featured artist Jeon So Yeon had any involvement in setting the creative direction or selecting references for the video.
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