Popular global band Katseye recently collaborated with K-pop girl bands ILLIT and Le Sserafim for their latest single Icon By Mistake, where the stars boasted their edgy, dark horror-camp aesthetic on full swing.
Dropped on Wednesday, the song features lightning-filled cornfields, a graveyard scene, and a dramatic apocalyptic backdrop where the groups dance amidst fire.
The surprise collaboration brought together all three HYBE-affiliated music groups, celebrating individuality while addressing the relentless online scrutiny and speculations that come with their global fame.
The track utilises a hard-hitting alternative pop sound layered with blaring siren-like synthesisers and playful video game sound effects.
However, the music video soon found itself at the centre of an online backlash, with fans pointing out a ‘bizarre’ common link between the three bands.
Social media has since been flooded with sarcastic remarks and criticism, with users noting that all three groups have, at some point in the past, parted ways with one of their members.
“The irony of all the groups kicking out a member and now collaborating together,” a fan commented on social media.
While another comment reads, “We missed Manon, Moka & Chaewon.”
In February, HYBE and Geffen Records announced that member Manon Bannerman would be going on an indefinite ‘temporary hiatus’ to focus on her health.
Meanwhile, ILLIT was originally formed as a six-member band. However, in January 2024 — just two months before their official debut— their agency announced that one of its members, Youngseo, had mutually agreed to terminate her contract and leave the group for undisclosed reasons.
Also in 2022, Source Music, the agency of Le Sserafim, officially terminated the contract of member Kim Garam following intense online school bullying allegations.