Ex's Lee Sang-mi clarifies (G)I-DLE's Soyeon homage controversy

Amid reactions that (G)I-DLE's Soyeon's new song 'I'm Quitting My Job' is similar to the band Ex's 'Please Take Care of Me,' the original singer Lee Sang-mi has spoken out directly. As the situation, which had escalated into a debate over mere similarity, was confirmed to be an intentional homage to the original song, the controversy is effectively settling down.

On the 11th, Ex vocalist Lee Sang-mi posted a photo taken with Soyeon on her social media (SNS), stating, "Everyone~ stop the speculation~ The day we filmed the Reels was Soyeon's birthday. We filmed it a long time ago in August."

She added, "We prepared a cake that perfectly suited Soyeon and celebrated her birthday all at once. It was a truly joyful day for me as well." By directly addressing the various interpretations regarding their friendship, she emphasized that Soyeon and Ex had already been in communication regarding the collaboration and homage process for the new song.

The released photo shows Lee Sang-mi posing affectionately with her hand on Soyeon's shoulder. Soyeon is seen smiling brightly while holding a cake with the message, 'Instead of quitting, let's be together forever.' Lee Sang-mi added hashtags such as 'Do everything Soyeon wants to do,' 'I'm Quitting My Job,' and 'Instead of quitting, stay with fans forever,' sending her support to the junior artist.

This clarification drew even more attention as it coincided with the musical similarity debate surrounding Soyeon's 'I'm Quitting My Job.' Soyeon released her first solo studio album 'Awesome Life' on the 7th, and online reactions spread suggesting that the title track 'I'm Quitting My Job' was reminiscent of Ex's 'Please Take Care of Me,' the Grand Prize winner of the 2005 MBC Campus Music Festival.

Due to the similar atmosphere, composition, and particularly the humorous approach using the theme of 'office life and quitting,' some raised possibilities of borrowing or plagiarism. However, the context was entirely different, as Soyeon's work was an intentional homage to Ex's representative song.

Appearing on MBC's 'Radio Star' broadcast on the 9th, Soyeon explained the production background of 'I'm Quitting My Job' and directly mentioned Ex. She stated, "I wanted to homage the band Ex, so I contacted them directly and received permission." In other words, the similarity to the original song was not a result of coincidence or unauthorized borrowing, but a result of explicitly referencing the original from the creative stage.

Lee Sang-mi's post can be seen as a factual confirmation supporting Soyeon's explanation. In particular, Lee Sang-mi directly revealed that the two did not meet hastily after the controversy arose, but had already filmed a video and held a celebration for Soyeon's birthday in August, naturally revealing the relationship between the two parties.

Ex's 'Please Take Care of Me' is a song that caused a huge public sensation after winning the Grand Prize at the 2005 MBC Campus Music Festival. At the time, it was evaluated as capturing both the youthfulness unique to the Campus Music Festival and social reality by expressing the sorrows of office workers through witty lyrics and a cheerful rock sound. It has been consistently talked about due to its pleasant way of expressing the hardships of early career professionals in the language of popular music.

It is also interesting that Soyeon re-invoked this with the contemporary keyword 'quitting.' Two songs dealing with the reality of office workers, separated by about 20 years, have been reinterpreted through the language and sensibilities of different generations. While 'Please Take Care of Me' satirized the reality of youth entering organized society after graduating from university, 'I'm Quitting My Job' more directly targets the generational sensibility of today, where existing notions of workplaces and organizations have changed.

Therefore, this case also serves as an example of how homage works in popular music. The presence of elements reminiscent of an original work cannot be immediately defined as plagiarism or unauthorized borrowing. It is necessary to comprehensively examine how the creator utilized the original, what function and meaning those elements hold within the new work, and whether there was consultation with the rights holder.

Soyeon is a singer-songwriter type idol who has directly built her own musical color through songwriting, composing, and arranging, a person who has embodied the stories she wants to tell through music and performance rather than settling for existing genres or images. This first solo studio album is also evaluated as a different creative path from her group activities, as she put her life, attitude, and generational sensibility at the forefront.

Lee Sang-mi has also maintained contact with the public by moving between broadcasting and music after her activities with Ex. In particular, the symbolism of being a singer from the Campus Music Festival means that 'Please Take Care of Me' remains a work representing a scene of 2000s Korean popular music.

Ultimately, the core of the debate surrounding 'I'm Quitting My Job' lies not in the similarity itself, but in how that similarity was created. Following Soyeon's explanation that she contacted the original singer Lee Sang-mi to request permission for the homage, and Lee Sang-mi's subsequent confirmation of their friendship and collaboration, the initial suspicions of 'unauthorized borrowing' have lost all ground.

While 'Please Take Care of Me' sang of the sorrows of office workers 20 years ago, 'I'm Quitting My Job' sings of the resignation of a new generation in 2026. Although times have changed, the connection remains in how both songs use music to express the public's emotions regarding work and organizations. This homage is more than a simple reproduction of a past hit; it is a cultural dialogue that calls upon the song of one generation through the language of another.