[NewJeans Plagiarism Controversy] 'How Sweet' Sued by US Creators, Dispatch Reveals Note-for-Note Comparison

NewJeans' hit song 'How Sweet' is caught in a copyright dispute. According to Korean media outlet Dispatch, four American producers and singer-songwriters are accusing ADOR of plagiarizing their song 'One of a Kind' when producing 'How Sweet.' A copyright infringement lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, naming HYBE, ADOR, NewJeans, BANA (Beasts & Natives), 250, and other related parties as defendants.

Dispatch First Compares Musical Patterns, Claims Notes in Relevant Sections Are Identical

Dispatch stated that the report began by revealing two audio clips without song titles, asking readers to only listen to the identical rhythm of the two songs. It then presented the song titles and musical patterns, pointing out that the solfège syllables in the relevant sections were identical. The notes listed for both songs were: F F E♭ E♭ B♭ — F F E♭ E♭ B♭ / E♭ E♭ C C A♭ — E♭ E♭ C C A♭.

The report also recalled that in April 2024, Min Hee-jin publicly expressed dissatisfaction, accusing ILLIT of imitating NewJeans. At the time, she specifically questioned the group's direction, album design, and key choreography, stating: "Why are they using our key choreography without our consent? Our choreographers are very angry." However, 'How Sweet,' released after these accusations, is now embroiled in a controversy over whether it used 'One of a Kind' without authorization.

Four American Creators Sue, Lawyer Expresses Disappointment Over 'Obvious Appropriation'

Dispatch claims to have obtained the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, analyzed 'One of a Kind' and 'How Sweet,' and corresponded with the plaintiffs' lawyer via email to understand the case background. The plaintiffs' lawyer stated: "Adam, Aidan, Audrey, and Michael are accomplished creators, and they are very disappointed to find their original song so obviously copied."

According to Dispatch's summary, BANA had given an instrumental track to the American publishing company Pulse Music, requesting the completion of a "top line" (main melody/vocal melody). Pulse Music then commissioned American creator Audrey Amacost, who, along with Aidan Rodriguez, Michael Campanelli, and Adam Gokcebay, completed the top line. The four then submitted the finished product to Pulse, which in turn passed it to BANA.

Two weeks later, Audrey and her collaborators received a rejection notice from BANA, stating: "We liked the top line but ultimately decided not to use it." However, four months later, 'How Sweet' was officially released. The plaintiffs argue: "The top line we submitted to BANA was used. BANA CEO Kim Ki-hyun and their A&R staff could not have been unaware of this."

Controversial Sections: Same Time Signature, Key, Tempo

The controversial sections compared by Dispatch are from 0:30 to 0:43 in 'One of a Kind' and from 0:08 to 0:20 in 'How Sweet.' Dispatch claims this key melody appears twice in each song. The report points out that both songs are in 4/4 time, B♭ minor, and have the same tempo of 125 BPM; these elements can be attributed to the instrumental track provided by the NewJeans side.

Regarding the core of the plagiarism claim, Dispatch reports that both songs use C♭ instead of the naturally occurring C in the B♭ minor scale. This note, not belonging to the scale, is considered a "tension note" that creates tension in the song. The report also states that this is not a common musical trope that anyone would easily use.

Dispatch further points out that the key to this controversy lies in the melody. The pitch sequence of 'One of a Kind' and 'How Sweet' is almost identical, with eighth notes repeating before resolving to quarter notes, consistent rhythmic patterns, and similar accents. Both songs also exhibit a stepwise descending scale structure: F → E♭ → B♭ / E♭ → C → A♭ / E♭ → C♭ → A♭.

It is extremely difficult for the solfège syllables, note lengths, tension notes, and rhythms of the top lines of two songs to be all identical. Selecting a melody that sounds and looks the same cannot be explained by coincidence.

Korean Music Expert

Responsibility Becomes Focus, Kim Ki-hyun's Role Highlighted

Dispatch reports that BANA CEO Kim Ki-hyun is Min Hee-jin's self-admitted "ex-ex-ex-boyfriend" and her former music partner, who was responsible for NewJeans' A&R. 'How Sweet' was indeed sourced by Kim Ki-hyun. The report also states that Min Hee-jin pays Kim Ki-hyun a monthly service fee of 33 million Korean Won (approximately US$21,900, or NT$650,000), plus a bonus of about 5% of revenue, totaling over 1 billion Korean Won (approximately US$663,000, or NT$19.7 million).

In the buyback rights lawsuit with HYBE, Min Hee-jin actively denied favoring Kim Ki-hyun and refuted allegations of breach of trust. She stated: "That was just the amount I proposed because I believed that if I were to work with him at that level, those conditions would be necessary. I place great importance on fair compensation for others. Kim Ki-hyun is not a composer, so he cannot collect royalties, which is a blind spot. That's why I proposed that amount, believing that if he were to work with me at this level, he would need to receive such compensation."

After reviewing the production credits for 'How Sweet,' Dispatch pointed out that Min Hee-jin is the executive producer and Kim Ki-hyun is the A&R director. The report also explained that in the K-pop production system, a core responsibility of A&R includes confirming rights such as song acquisition and copyright clearance.

Min Hee-jin once said, 'Kim Ki-hyun is NewJeans. He produced all the songs.' Kim Ki-hyun received our song; he cannot claim he didn't know.

Plaintiffs

Plaintiffs' lawyer Trevor Barrett also told Dispatch: "We are very disappointed that our song was so obviously appropriated in 'How Sweet.' We hope that through this lawsuit, our rights can be properly restored."

'How Sweet' Sells Over 1.3 Million Copies, ADOR Responds

'How Sweet' has sold over 1.3 million copies as of June 2026, peaked at No. 15 on the Global 200, and was selected by Rolling Stone as one of the 100 best songs of 2024. In response to Dispatch's inquiry, ADOR briefly replied: "'How Sweet' is a song acquired through BANA, and we are currently checking the status of the sound source similarity review conducted at the time."

Dispatch finally stated that OK Records and BANA could not be reached for comment.