4th Gen K-Pop Idol Triggers Divided Reactions Over Alleged Cultural Appropriation
Former TREASURE member Bang Yedam has sparked mixed reactions due to his recent styling.
Bang Yedam is preparing his August 29 comeback with his second mini album, GOOD ViBES. Since it will be released in just a couple of days, he is busy promoting it.
Recently, he posted a TikTok video promoting his upcoming title track, “O-HE.” The video went viral, with 464.5K views at the time of writing.
@_yedam_official CAUGHT UP #방예담 #BANGYEDAM #BANGYEDAM_GOODViBES #GOODViBES #O_HE #오해
Yet, the comment section was not excited for the comeback. Instead, many netizens were alarmed by his hairstyle, which is the same one featured in the MV teaser for the song, as it appeared to be cultural appropriation. Many felt like it appeared Bang Yedam had a hairstyle imitating a hairstyle from Black culture.
A few jumped to Bang Yedam’s defense. They said if you look closely, it’s clear his hair is braided normally; it’s neither box braids nor locks.
Still, many feel Bang Yedam’s hairstyle is a clear attempt to mimic the aesthetic of these hairstyles. So, some still find this problematic.
What do you think?
