5th Gen K-Pop Idol Censors Boycotted Brand
AMPERS&ONE is a seven-member boy group under FNC Entertainment consisting of Kamden, Brian, Jiho, Siyun, Kyrell, Mackiah, and Seungmo. They debuted on November 15, 2023, with the single album Ampersand One.
In a recent Weverse Live promoting their comeback with “Broken Heart,” Kamden and Brian sang Justin Bieber‘s “Baby,” featuring Ludacris. Netizens noticed that Kamden censored a line while rapping, although the song contains no cursing.
@tulechelala I enjoyed watching this live.. 🤭#ampersandone #kamden #brian #ampies #weverse #live #babyjustinbieber #kpopfyp #palestine
It’s because Kamden censored the American coffee chain Starbucks. The original lyrics talk about crushing on someone so much that they are the reason you wake up every day, so you don’t even need caffeine, which is found in coffee.
When I was thirteen, I had my first love
There was nobody that compared to my baby, and nobody came between us nor could ever come above
She had me goin’ crazy, oh, I was starstruck
She woke me up daily, don’t need no Starbucks— Ludacris, “Baby”
While this song was released in 2010, Starbucks has been boycotted since October.
Since October, the death toll in the Gaza Strip is reportedly 32,414 people due to Israeli attacks as of March 26. The surviving Palestinians in Gaza are struggling to survive as over 70,000 are injured, starving, displaced, and lost homes, family, and friends.
Around 1 in every 25 Palestinians in Gaza are now injured or dead, Islamic Relief says as Israel’s bombardment continues unabated.
— ReliefWeb
More people worldwide are becoming aware of this humanitarian crisis and hoping to do their part in making a difference. So, BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) is an entity that has helped identify brands that should be targeted in boycotts. The Palestinian BDS National Committee shared a list of brands to boycott, placing them in categories. Popular fast-food chains, such as McDonald’s and Starbucks, are organic targets, although the latter was not on BDS’s boycott list.
The BDS movement did not initiate these grassroots boycott campaigns but is in support of them due to these brands openly supporting Israel’s genocide against Palestinians.
— BDS on organic boycott targets
In October 2023, the worker-led union of Starbucks, representing at least 9,000 employees, shared a post via X (formerly Twitter). In the statement, Starbucks Workers United stood in solidarity with Palestine.
As of June 2023, over 8,000 workers at over 360 Starbucks stores in at least 40 states in the United States have voted to unionize, primarily with Workers United. As of March 2023 none have yet enacted a collective bargaining agreement.
— Wikipedia
Starbucks Workers United stands with Palestine. pic.twitter.com/A0Rg63b7sp
— Starbucks Workers United (@SBWorkersUnited) October 20, 2023
Shortly after, Starbucks released its own statements, which denounced the union. Starbucks did not want to be associated with the union’s stance.
Starbucks wanted to stop the union from using its name and logo, saying the company had no official stance on the war and the union’s post might confuse customers. But many boycotters, like Blake, thought Starbucks should offer more support to the people of Gaza.
— AP News
Starbucks then sued its employees on October 18 for trademark infringement. The company claimed the social media post angered its customers and had the potential to damage the company’s reputation. Starbucks’ actions only disappointed customers.
Since then, Starbucks has been boycotted worldwide as customers thought it was unethical of Starbucks to sue its employees for their stance on the humanitarian issue. Consequently, Starbucks lost $12 billion USD in market value, with some locations even closing and filing bankruptcy in many countries.
Many people do not understand but Boycott has caused Starbucks alone to lose $12 Billion and many of the Starbucks are being closed due to that.
Boycott works
Watch the video 🚨 pic.twitter.com/UZk71GdPx1
— William B. (@The_NightReport) December 25, 2023
However, some netizens have noted that some international Starbucks stores are independent. For example, Starbucks Coffee Korea’s current CEO, Son Jung Hyun, is of the global retail tech company Shinsegae I&C. Starbucks reportedly has no shares in Starbucks Coffee Korea. Still, the franchise does pay 5% royalties for using the brand’s name and logo. Recently, Workers United and Starbucks began discussions to build “a productive relationship in the best interests of Starbucks partners.”
We have agreed with Workers United that we will begin discussions on a foundational framework designed to achieve collective bargaining agreements, including a fair process for organizing, and the resolution of some outstanding litigation.
— Starbucks
A giant step forward made possible by thousands and thousands of us joining together and speaking out…
🚨THIS IS HUGE.🚨 pic.twitter.com/zZZ57Am0Bm
— Starbucks Workers United (@SBWorkersUnited) February 27, 2024
Still, many are boycotting Starbucks and expressing disappointment as some of their favorite celebrities, including idols, continue to drink coffee from the chain. So, fans were happy to see not only has Kamden not been drinking Starbucks but he intentionally censored the word.
@yul_ove_kamden Stan AMPERS&ONE!!!! AMPERS&ONE MARCH 26th COMEBACK ‼️‼️‼️‼️ #kamden #brian #나캠든 #브라이언 #앰퍼샌드원 #ampersandone
However, idols often censor brands as it can be a conflict for potential ambassadorship or brand deals, as promotions are a great source of income for many.
Check out AMPERS&ONE’s “Broken Heart” below.
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