BLACKPINK’s Jennie is under fire for allegedly plagiarizing the intro of Alia Bhatt’s ‘Rani’ theme from Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani in her new single, “Like Jennie.”
The snippet of the song has sparked a flurry of comparisons, with many claiming that the K-pop star has run out of original ideas.
The controversy erupted as social media users quickly pointed out the striking similarities between the two tracks, particularly the chorus that chants “Rani” and “Jennie.” One user succinctly summed up the sentiment with, “All I hear is plagiarism,” and it seems they’re not alone in their assessment.
While BLACKPINK’s dedicated fanbase, known as Blinks, rushed to Jennie’s defense, arguing that it’s not stealing if she credits the original creators, the fact remains that no such credit has been given in the snippet.
This has led to further speculation about whether Jennie is simply borrowing from Bollywood’s notorious playbook of copying renowned artists without acknowledgment.
Adding to the irony, some fans pointed out that Jennie might be “stealing” from Pritam, the Bollywood composer often criticized for his own history of musical borrowing. It’s a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black, as Bollywood has frequently faced accusations of lifting melodies and ideas from artists around the globe, including those from Pakistan.
Jennie’s debut solo album, titled Ruby after her middle name, is set to drop this Friday, and it’s clear that she’s trying to carve out her own musical identity outside of BLACKPINK, where she’s known as the ‘face’ of the group.
Despite her success—being the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella and the first to hit 1 billion YouTube views—this latest controversy raises questions about her originality.
