Popular K-pop girl group Kiss of Life also known as KIOF is under fire for a controversial livestream themed “old-school hip hop vibes” held on Wednesday (Apr 2) to celebrate member Julie’s birthday.
The quartet, consisting of Julie, Natty, Belle and Haneul, were seen dressed in gold chains, cornrows and Bantu knots, as well as using stereotypical mannerisms. Members of the group are now facing accusations of cultural appropriation and racism.
Following the backlash, Kiss of Life’s agency S2 Entertainment issued a statement on Thursday (Apr 3) and said: “We’d like to address the issues that arose from the content that was uploaded on Kiss of Life’s official YouTube yesterday (April 2).
“We sincerely apologise for causing discomfort to our viewers. The true purpose of the content was to celebrate hip hop culture, which serves as much of the musical inspiration for Kiss of Life.
“However, we apologise for our shortcomings in recognising the negative cultural implications that our content could be perceived to have. Our members and team promise to approach cultural references with greater caution and respect moving forward.”
The agency added that all related content has been removed from all of the group’s channels.
Best known for their songs Igloo and Sticky, Kiss of Life debuted in July 2023, with the extended play (EP) Kiss of Life. They held their first world tour titled Kiss Road with shows in South Korea, the United States and Canada from October to December 2024, with a European leg added for February and March 2025.
