On November 3 (KST), KISS OF LIFE shared a 15-second preview clip of their upcoming music video, showing members posing in front of a shimmering truck adorned with rhinestones. Behind them was a striking poster depicting Bratz doll–inspired versions of the members.
“Lucky” is part of KISS OF LIFE’s first Japanese mini-album promotion, but what was meant to be a fun teaser quickly turned into controversy.
Shortly after its release on X (formerly Twitter), netizens accused the group of racism, claiming that the illustrated poster depicted the members as Black women rather than their actual likenesses. Many found this problematic given KISS OF LIFE’s previous cultural appropriation scandal, where the group was criticized for mocking Black culture during a performance.
While some fans attempted to defend the teaser by suggesting the artwork was inspired by Japan’s “gyaru” fashion subculture, others were quick to dismiss that claim, pointing out that “gyaru” aesthetics differ significantly from the design seen in the teaser.
In addition to the racial controversy, others accused KISS OF LIFE of “plagiarizing” the concept of the Japanese girl group F5VE’s “Underground” music video, citing similarities in the truck, outfits, and color palette.
Despite the backlash, the group’s management, S2 Entertainment, proceeded with the full music video release. As of now, “Lucky” has garnered mixed reactions — while many online criticize the teaser’s imagery, comments under the official YouTube video are largely positive, praising the song’s addictive beat and visuals.
“The concept is so fun and vibrant — I hope people focus on the music instead of the controversy,” one YouTube commenter wrote.
Still, the debate surrounding cultural sensitivity in K-pop visuals continues, with some urging entertainment companies to hire more diverse creative teams to avoid repeating such missteps.
Sources: Koreaboo