EXO “Ko Ko Bop” accused of plagiarizing David Guetta “Light My Body Up”, producer denies

In the latest round of K-pop plagiarism accusations, netizens are claiming EXO‘s “Ko Ko Bop” sounds like David Guetta‘s “Light My Body Up” because … sure.

사용했구요. 키까지 친절하게 같은 조표에서 비교해줬습니다. 결론은 똑같은 멜로디에 비슷한 가상악기. 같은 템포. 어떻게 반박하실래요? 위 영상은 (헤엑) 님께서 두 곡을 믹스해 주셨는데요. 위화감 없이 이렇게 잘 맞는 것도 이상하지 않나요ㅋㅋ pic.twitter.com/FO3REIWZwQ

— 표절은그렇게쉽게성립되는게아니란다 (@rmzzangzzang) July 18, 2017

퐁테 님께서 제공해 주신 두 곡의 좌우음성+가운데로 음원을 합친 부분입니다. 표절은 양적인 자료보다 질적 판단을 중요시 하는 걸로 알고있구요. 또 곡분석 자료인 양적 자료 또한 있습니다. 어떻게 반박하실래요? pic.twitter.com/DrtAKLALYQ

— 표절은그렇게쉽게성립되는게아니란다 (@rmzzangzzang) July 18, 2017

Uh, okay.

I’ve written over and over about how these accusations are usually bunk because people have no idea what they’re talking about and I’ve generally been right taking that path, so I don’t see any reason to stray from that with this accusation either.

Furthering my belief in that is a clarification made by the producer of “Ko Ko Bop”, Paul Thompson, in which he says that this song was made long before the other was even released.

Sounds like a reasonable explanation to me, especially since this doesn’t seem much like plagiarism anyway.