K-Netizens Divided Over Heize Not Specifically Stating A Remake On New Album

Singer Heize recently dropped the track list for her upcoming eighth mini album, Last Winter, online. According to the list, the album includes the title song, “Lips (feat. 10CM),” and other b-side tracks. One b-side track, “Midnight,” gained much attention from netizens.

[Heize]
헤이즈(Heize) The 8th Mini Album [Last Winter]

Track List:
#2. 입술 (Feat. 10CM) *Title Track

2023.12.07 (Thu) 6PM KST#헤이즈 #Heize#LastWinter #라스트윈터 #입술#231207_6pmKST#PNATION #피네이션 pic.twitter.com/o1DqY1XfWH

— P NATION (@OfficialPnation) November 28, 2023

Some netizens felt that she should have specifically stated that the song was a remake of a song by idol group BEAST (currently HIGHLIGHT).

Netizen comments | heizeheize/Instagram Netizen comments | heizeheize/Instagram Netizen comments | heizeheize/Instagram

• “If you’re going to use a song by a currently active idol group, you should specifically state that it’s a remake. This isn’t the first time either, and you’re making it look like that song is yours. Seeing that you’re just taking someone else’s song, it looks like you have no morals…”
• “I wish you would state that it’s a remake. At least you marked your last remake song with the year 2021, but for this song, people who don’t know the original might think that this is your song.”
• “What is your reasoning behind taking other people’s songs like this? It was bad enough with just one. Just state that it’s a remake.”
• “If ‘Midnight’ is a remake, please state it’s a remake.”
• “Are you not going to state that it’s a remake?”
• “Is this BEAST’s ‘Midnight?’ Other artists state in their albums if it’s a remake…are you just going to look this over? You will state it, right?”
• “Is this BEAST’s ‘Midnight?’ You posted it as if it was your own song. It’s not that hard to state that it’s a remake. If you want to post it as your own song…please maintain basic manners…”
• “Shouldn’t you state that it’s a remake?”
• “If you don’t want to state that it’s a remake, at least state it in an article or on social media. Is it your own song if you edit the title and change the song? Would you like it if someone took your song and released it without stating it was a remake?”
• “First ‘On Rainy Day’ and now ‘Midnight’…what’s next..’Fiction?”
• “Wow, getting to know about a famous song in this type of way…”
• “Posting it as just ‘Midnight’ and not even ‘Midnight (2023)’..people might think this is a new song.”

However, others argued that artists usually don’t need to state that it’s a remake and didn’t think there was a problem with it.

Netizen comments | heizeheize/Instagram

• “Isn’t the purpose of a song to have many people listen to it? If a song is good, people will naturally listen to the original too..isn’t that why they agree to do remakes?”
• “Is it legal for an active artist to remake another active artist’s song? So, should other artists only remake songs by people who are not currently active? If not active artists..then who?”
• “I mean, this isn’t some YouTube cover song…it’s an album. I’m sure both sides have discussed it thoroughly before releasing it. The people who said she has no morals are the ones with no morals. Just looking at the track list, we can tell that it’s a remake…”
• “I’ve just been quiet about this so that no damages will go to the artist, but I mean did she say anything about this being her own song? She hasn’t said anything…and she’s only just released the track list…”

What are your thoughts on this?