IZNA, the rookie girl group from WakeOne Entertainment, has been at the center of a heated controversy after accusations that their debut mini-album’s design was heavily inspired by — or even copied from — NewJeans’ album artwork. The similarities sparked widespread backlash, with many fans accusing the group of plagiarism and claiming they were using this controversy as a form of “noise marketing” to boost visibility.
On November 14, WakeOne Entertainment issued a public statement acknowledging the issue, promising to replace the album design entirely. The agency reassured fans, stating, “We are aware of the design concerns and have decided to replace the design completely. We will take appropriate measures to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Shortly after, WakeOne revealed the updated album cover, but the revisions were minor and didn’t seem to fully resolve the plagiarism claims. While the original vibrant colors and illustrations were removed from the front cover, the new design featured only a black border, leaving much of the original design structure unchanged. Fans were quick to criticize this update, with many expressing disappointment over the lack of meaningful changes.
Korean netizens were particularly vocal about the redesign. Many pointed out that the new cover still resembled NewJeans’ artwork too closely and argued that the small alterations didn’t address the core issue of copying. One user said, “The album looks even more boring now, and it only makes me think they copied NewJeans even more.” Others shared similar sentiments, claiming that the design still felt derivative rather than original.
Several fans also speculated that WakeOne’s quick decision to alter the album artwork was a strategic move to manage the growing negative attention. “This feels like noise marketing,” one commenter wrote. “I only found out about IZNA because of the controversy.” Another fan suggested that the agency never planned to keep the original design and simply used it to stir up buzz: “They probably never meant to release that NewJeans-inspired design in the first place.”
While some supporters of the group said the redesign was an improvement, they still felt it lacked creativity. “The revised album is better, but it still looks too plain,” one fan commented. “If they were inspired by NewJeans, they should have made a more creative effort instead of just making small changes.”
In the end, most of the feedback indicated that the plagiarism issue had not been satisfactorily resolved. “This didn’t solve the plagiarism problem at all,” another user remarked, summing up the general frustration with the situation.
The ongoing debate over IZNA’s album design underscores a broader conversation within the K-pop industry about the importance of originality and the ethical responsibilities of entertainment agencies. Fans have voiced their concerns, urging companies to be more transparent and invest in authentic creative efforts rather than relying on controversy-driven marketing tactics.
