Lee Chae Yeon's agency finally gave their official statement regarding the plagiarism controversy involving the artist.
Previously, there were allegations that the concept of Lee Chae Yeon's first mini album teaser "HUSH RUSH" had copied the concept of Key SHINee's solo album entitled "Gasoline".
In response to these allegations, WM Entertainment as Lee Chae Yeon's agency gave their official statement:
“Hello, this is WM Entertainment.
We would like to acknowledge the similarity in design between Lee Chae Yeon's first mini album “HUSH RUSH” and another artist's album which is very unfortunate and disappointing, and in response, we are making a statement regarding Lee Chae Yeon's first solo album.
Our artist Lee Chae Yeon's first mini album “HUSH RUSH” compares the nervousness and excitement of a vampire making her first trip in the world to Lee Chae Yeon's first start (as a solo artist), and we not only planned the album concept but also shot the music video using the concept. the same one.
Also, we thought of album packaging as something that the “Vampires of the MZ Generation” would carry, so we designed the album packaging as a transparent bag that shows the objects inside, with two different versions: Vampire and Influencer.
Regarding the concept, the items in the bag for the “Vampire version” packaging are items that vampires might carry, such as large sunglasses, blood bags, and eyeballs, while the “Influencer Version” packaging consists of items with the theme vampire repellent, such as crosses, garlic, cell phones, and objects for decoration.
In this way, we combined the idea of “a vampire who wakes up in an isolated castle after 300 years and travels the world” with the meaning of “Lee Chae Yeon's solo debut” to create the concept of “MZ Generation Vampire.”
The images used in the album, such as eyeballs and lightning, are elements that we collect as objects to express the vampire concept, and regarding the main color of the album cover, we choose colors that are often used in horror- or Halloween-themed designs.
For design fonts, we use paid fonts designed by the company Sandoll, Inc. which is inspired by the horror genre, which fits perfectly into the overall mood of the album.
The heart design on the front of the CD in the Influencer version of the album represents a vampire's heart that beats again after waking up, as well as a vampire's heart that races when she encounters a new world outside.
Additionally, we added a barbed wire detail at the heart because we thought it would convey a chilly vampire aura, and the external design company that designed this album purchased the images directly from a paid image website.
Thus, Lee Chae Yeon's first mini-album “HUSH RUSH” is an album that has a clear image and a unique narrative to convey.
We apologize for worrying the fans who have been waiting for Lee Chae Yeon's debut for a long time. As this is an album that he has been preparing for a long time, we ask that you watch warmly and show a lot of interest for Lee Chae Yeon's new beginning and her first mini album “HUSH RUSH.” Thank you
Meanwhile, Lee Chae Yeon is scheduled to debut as a solo singer on October 12, 2022! (www.kpopchart.net)
