It includes cultural appropriation and plagiarism.
Koreaboo
7 minutes ago
Popular HYBE group BOYNEXTDOOR‘s recent comeback has been plagued with controversy, including allegations of cultural appropriation and plagiarism.
BOYNEXTDOOR | @BOYNEXTDOOR_KOZ/X
On September 28, BOYNEXTDOOR made a comeback and released the video for “ANIMAL.”
Amid the comeback, netizens shared that a photocard showed Jaehyun wearing braids, which had been edited out of the photoshoot for the album. They also brought back the members’ hairstyles from earlier in the year.
BOYNEXTDOOR Jaehyun was revealed to be wearing braids in a photocard that were edited out in the photoshoot + Sungho and Woonhak’s hairstyles during ddok3 promotions
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As many comments explained, KOZ seemed to know the issues, as fans shared that in the concept photos, the company edited out the braids on Jaehyun.
I CANT STOP LAUGHING AT HOW OP IS RIGHT. 😭 BECUZ THE OVERDRIVE CONCEPT PHOTOS STILL HAVE HIS BRAID. KOZ JUST EDITED IT POST PHOTOSHOOT BECAUSE THEY GOT MASS EMAILED DURING DDOK3 ERA ABT WOONHAK’S STYLING ISSUE AND DONE REALISED THEY FUCKED UP TOO LATE OH MY GOD 😭😭 https://t.co/3iWAWfoSvC pic.twitter.com/q5RhT6SsiY
— Uncle Zen (@YoneImpregnator) September 29, 2026
yall PLAYYYYEEEEDDDD https://t.co/sipMnMUhsA
— ♡ whit | seeing ATEEZ | seeing bonedo x3 ♡ (@otter_bbychick) September 28, 2026
Following the issue with the braids, a hot topic was also the fact that many netizens thought “ANIMAL” sounded like group Slayyyter’s song “No Comma.”
The bridge in BOYNEXTDOOR’s new track Animal sounds almost identical to Slayyyter’s No Comma, is it intentional?
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While the OP wondered whether it was intentional, the comments thought it sounded too similar and even called it identical, hitting back at the lack of credit to the group.
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THIS IS THE BIGGEST CERTIFICATE OF FAME! Being plagiarized by Hybe https://t.co/KA93U3JHm5
— slayyyter chart$ (@SlayyyterChart) September 28, 2026
Many were furious at the state of the comeback, sharing how the group shouldn’t have the “unproblematic” label.
I hate this so much boynextdoor was really good and hybe ruined them
— Jek Wayne (@spiderverze) September 29, 2026
this is the product of onedoors preaching boynextdoor being unproblematic and letting that ddok3 shit slide pic.twitter.com/mZs1AyKnDX
— mar (@astrlove) September 29, 2026
Listening to 400 years to cope with the actual MESS that’s happening in boynextdoor. The company and Jaehyun should definitely be held accountable for cultural appropriation. I hope they’ll let onedoors educate them and I hope that it won’t end up like the woonhak situation.
— rey ☾𖤓 (@reyysofsunshine) September 29, 2026
boynextdoor should never have gotten the unproblematic label they are managed by zico for fucks sake 😭😭
— akki꩜ (@pinnimedia) September 29, 2026