Did This K-Pop Girl Group Copy Tyla’s ‘Water’?

Fans of K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM and fans of breakout star Tyla are arguing online over the girl group’s latest song.

Many fans are claiming that LE SSERAFIM’s “Smart” is copying Tyla’s viral, Grammy-winning amapiano hit “Water” due to its Afrobeats influence.

Tyla’s song was released in July 2023 and reached the top ten in 16 countries. The song was part of her debut studio album, Tyla, and won the 2024 Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance.

READ MORE: K-Pop Fan Reportedly Pooped Their Pants at Hanteo Music Awards

When LE SSERAFIM performed “Smart” during their recent comeback showcase in support of their third EP, Easy, fans immediately noticed similarities between their song and Tyla’s.

WARNING: Tweets may contain graphic language.

One fan tweeted, “The blatant Tyla copy is disgusting and disingenuous but kpop fans will eat it up because they’d rather support a cheap knock off than support black women and African artists.”

Many fans also began calling out the girl group’s company, HYBE, for plagiarism. They drew comparisons between the two songs’ aesthetics, choreography, music, and even the outfits.

“From the choreography to the outfits, you could just tell Tyla was the inspiration,” one fan tweeted.

Another fan said that they think LE SSERAFIM has no personal identity as a music group.

“Every comeback will sound like what’s currently trending and [right now] that’s afrobeats,” they tweeted.

Meanwhile, others theorized that the group and Tyla could be setting up for a potential collaboration, especially since both artists are performing at this year’s Coachella music festival.

However, some fans disagreed with the plagiarism claims.

The backlash got so loud it reached Tyla herself, who tweeted a GIF of a woman looking confused, seemingly in response to the hubbub.

Later, she added, “No weird vibes, always love to all girls.”