A Malaysian pop group accused of copying Blackpink has rebuffed further accusations of ripping off the South Korean superstars even after the former covered the latter’s song at an awards show.
Dolla, which comprises Sabrina Rusli, Angeline Chai, Norsyasya Shahrizal, and Tabitha Lam, had been accused of copying Blackpink in many ways, from their looks to music style. The Malaysian girl group on Friday covered Blackpink’s “Lovesick Girls” in a live performance at local awards show Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian (Berita Harian’s Most Popular Awards).
“We would have liked to sing one of our own songs,” group leader Sabrina, who goes by the stage name Sabronzo, told the press in a statement yesterday.
“But the organizers at the awards ceremony suggested that we cover a song from BTS. At that time, we felt like Blackpink would have suited us better,” the 25-year-old singer added, saying that her group didn’t want to appear too demanding for their first major performance as they were still newbies in the music industry. Dolla was formed last year under the Universal Music label, just three years after the South Korean group comprising Jennie, Lisa, Rose, and Jisoo came together.
“We are still new and did not want to seem demanding by refusing the organizers’ suggestion,” Sabrina said. “We do not like being compared to Blackpink, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate and honor them all the same.”
Dolla recently said that any similarities between them and YG Entertainment’s golden girls were merely a ‘coincidence.’
Many criticized Dolla’s “Lovesick Girls” performance on Friday night, saying that the group lacked originality even though they claimed to have their own musical identity.
“Dolla: we have our own identity, we are not copycat, we are dolla. Also dolla: *performs blackpink song*,” Twitter user @Zendayu wrote after the performance.
dolla: we have our own identity, we are not copycat, we are dolla
also dolla: *perform lagu blackpink* #ABPBHKITA2020— yu (@zzendayu) November 13, 2020
Some said that TV3, the station broadcasting the live performance, had set-up Dolla on purpose, since the group would probably garner some online hate after that.
“Tv3 set dolla up by covering blackpink song when they could have performed their own song,” @ITB0YKTH commented on Twitter.
Just last week, Dolla debuted their third single, “Watch Me Glow,” after “Impikan” and “Make You Wanna.”
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Malaysian girl group Dolla says similarities with K-pop’s Blackpink just a ‘coincidence’
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