Did Blackpink’s How You Like That video insult Hindu religion? Plus 4 more times K-pop’s biggest girl group stoked controversy

Jul 9 , 2020

K-pop superstars Blackpink’s How You Like That has been blasted for appropriating the Hindu religion. Photo: @blackpinkofficial/Instagram

From accusations of glorifying domestic violence to breaking traffic laws and shoving an old man, K-pop’s reigning queens have courted considerable controversy – long before censoring an ‘offensive’ image in the record-breaking new How You Like That MV

With new release How You Like That breaking the record for the most watched YouTube video within 24 hours – and hitting No 2 on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales after would-be presidential candidate Kanye West – Blackpink is riding a wave of success. But the K-pop girls haven’t avoided the scrutiny, controversy and criticism that comes along with so much attention.

Does the How You Like That MV offend the world’s oldest religion?

How you like that? Well for some, it was a no no.

The music video was hit with accusations of exploiting the Hindu religion just for the aesthetics, when it showed a statue of the deity Ganesha as a prop in the background. One Twitter user even argued that, “We have to make them pay for degrading our god for them to make money,” while the Blackpink India fan group published an official post condemning the stunt.

A petition was signed by 4,400 people demanding YG Entertainment take down the video from YouTube and issue an apology. Some saw another perspective; one Facebook comment said, “I felt proud that Lord Ganesha is being made famous through this popular music video”.

With the debate heating up, YG edited the video via YouTube and, without losing the video’s impressive play count, covered up the controversial image – much to the relief of offended fans.

But this is not the first time K-pop’s princesses have courted controversy.

Belt up