About MAMAMOO’s Controversy and Scandal Surrounding Them
MAMAMOO made its debut on June 19, 2014, through the mini-album Hello and the lead single “Mr. Ambiguous.” The line-up consists of Solar, Hwasa, Wheein, and Moonbyul who were scouted under RBW Entertainment. Their popularity increased rapidly not only among Korean fans but also through international fans! Solar, Hwasa, Moonbyul, and Wheein portray their true beauty and break the Korean Beauty Standards often. It is also proven that they don’t have to show off pale skin or slimmer bodies to be pretty since they are indeed beautiful just the way they are! But, somehow, the way MAMAMOO’s members express their true self also leads to misconceptions between the people who favor and are against that. Whether they do it by chance or there are clear reasons behind it, here are some of MAMAMOO’s scandals that you have to know.
MAMAMOO’s Blackface Controversy
The blackface scandal of MAMAMOO got a lot of attention and made people infuriated by it. How did it happen? During MAMAMOO’s concert in Seoul, the members were portraying a parody of “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars. Moreover, they painted black color in their faces to be similar to the mentioned artist. Blackface is known as a form of technical makeup to depict black people. MAMAMOO’s members expressed their regret and apologized to their fans and people who were hurt by their ignorant actions, mentioning that they didn’t know about the blackface issues. “We were extremely ignorant of blackface and didn’t understand the implications of our actions. We will be taking time to understand our international fans and make sure that the same actions won’t happen in the future.” Furthermore, the girls also assured the fans that they care for and respect all people from every race, sexuality, gender, or religion.
MAMAMOO’s Performance on Queendom
Did you know that MAMAMOO used to participate in the Queendom show? The program was a comeback battle between 6 girl groups and singers including MAMAMOO, Lovelyz, Oh My Girl, (G)I-DLE, AOA, and Park Bom. After a long journey, MAMAMOO finally got first place and became the winner.
However, their performance in Queendom was criticized. Netizens spotted two male backup dancers in MAMAMOO’s performance on a leash while also crawling on the floor. They got furious about that, stating that MAMAMOO threw hatred towards men instead of showing empowered women. Some people even accused them of portraying prejudice against men and the double standard that exists in the music industry.
MAMAMOO’s “Decalcomanie” MV Scandals
One of MAMAMOO’s hit singles “Decalcomanie” was released on November 7, 2016. The MV received a huge amount of bad comments since the fans thought that “Decalcomanie” was portraying dating abuse, especially the elevator kissing scene played by Solar. Meanwhile, MAMAMOO said that the scene was intended to emphasize the video concept and not romanticize sexual assault or something like that.
During the “Memory” showcase, MAMAMOO’s Solar explained the controversy regarding her kiss scene, stating “We mentioned before that we’ve returned with a femme fatale concept, but out of the four kiss scenes, three of the members led the kiss. We wondered what it would be like if one kiss scene was different, so I went with a different concept.” In the end, the group also released another version of the MV without the kissing scene included.
MAMAMOO’s “Starry Night” Plagiarism Accusation
After the things with “Decalcomanie,” MAMAMOO also faced plagiarism accusations for the single “Starry Night.” South Korean netizens found the song sounded similar to another song that was released before. So, is MAMAMOO’s single a copy? Let’s find out more about the details together!
When “Starry Night” was released, the fans were very excited and praised the song. However, the sparks suddenly dimmed when netizens claimed that the song resembles a single entitled “Prayer in C” by Robin Schultz. Through online forums, netizens alleged MAMAMOO for plagiarism. However, the accusation has never been highlighted, and a netizen even said, “I’m shocked that this isn’t a controversy.”
Are MAMAMOO’s Members Problematic?
Aside from the group’s issues, some of the MAMAMOO members were also accused of personal problems. Some people even thought that the members were problematic due to some incidents or scandals that involved them. Do you want to know more about the details? Read the details here:
Solar’s Outfit in “Spit It Out”
Solar was accused of sexualizing childish qualities through her concept photos of the first solo debut “Spit It Out” which was released on April 23, 2020. In the picture, Solar wore a two-piece outfit with a girly and cute pattern with a see-through skirt. Some people said that the outfit was too vulgar and made her look half-naked while sexualizing women as well. It wasn’t something new for Solar to break the stereotype when it comes to beauty, gender, or any other standards. She used to say, “It’s up to me how I want to dress.” She even refused to let her agency decide how she should express herself.
Hwasa and Her Fashion Controversy
Not only Solar but Hwasa also gets criticized about her outfits very often. One of the most highlighted times was the no-bra fashion which is considered provocative. It all started when Hwasa went to the airport in a braless white T-shirt which shocked the South Korean people. When she was questioned about the outfit, she simply said, “I’m dressing comfortably.” Previously, Hwasa also caused an uproar among people due to her sexy outfit at the 2018 MAMA Fans’ Choice where she attended the show with a skin-tight red bodysuit which emphasized her curvy body while performing on the stage. However, people bashed her outfit and claimed that it wasn’t suitable by Korean standards since it was way too sexy. The same condition reoccurred at the 2019 Golden Disk Awards when Hwasa appeared with a backless outfit. She even got malicious comments saying she looked like an aged woman, her body wasn’t slim, and more.
Wheein’s “Strawberry Jam, Come Out” Controversy
MAMAMOO’s Wheein got a different issue compared to Solar and Hwasa’s. She entered the spotlight due to her controversial comment during MAMAMOO’s fan meeting. What is the comment about? Through the fan meeting, MAMAMOO’s members revealed the other members’ names in their phones. During Wheein’s turn, she explained that Solar’s name on her phone is “Strawberry jam, come out” which comes from a song by the Korean singer named Fatdoo. However, it was later revealed that the song has explicit content and was even banned on many websites. The fans were very surprised since Wheein sang some of the lyrics at that time. That is everything about the fussy arguments surrounding MAMAMOO! There will always be two sides to every concern. Despite the controversies of the group, MAMAMOO is one of the incredible groups that express itself freely! Well, what do you think about the controversial things that relate to MAMAMOO? Let us know your answer through the comment section, and don’t forget to share our article on your social media!
