Top "A2K" Contestant Comes Under Fire For Cultural Appropriation

One of the contestants on JYP Entertainment‘s new audition program is currently under fire for past cultural appropriation.

In mid-July 2023, the first episode of A2K aired. The program, an acronym for America to Korea, is produced by JYP Entertainment and Republic Records and seeks “American talent to create a girl group through a K-Pop system.”

In the first episodes, girls from various backgrounds tried out for the program, with only a handful making it through to the next round. Some contestants have already stood out to netizens, like the adorable 12-year-old contestant who impressed J.Y. Park despite lacking formal training.

Now another contestant is standing out for all the wrong reasons.

KG Crown, also known as Kiera Grace, is a 15-year-old musician with much experience in the entertainment industry. At age four, she began modeling, while she has been singing since she was seven and was in a band with her three older brothers.

She recently began her solo career and was active on social media on her accounts, likely only stopping after the show’s filming began. Her TikTok shows much of her life before and includes some singing videos.

@kgcrownofficial

Who can relate to this song?💔 #foryou #fypシ #foryoupage #viral #trending #music #artist

♬ original sound – KG Crown

Viewers of the show recently discovered more than one video showing KG Crown wearing her hair in braids, very similar to the protective styling black people wear their hair in.

Users reposted her videos, with one saying, “JYP should’ve did a background check.” Many were shocked that this was the same person on the program, remarking how different she looked.

Some also expressed how they hoped she had changed and learned between the time she wore the braids til now.