BLACKPINK's Jennie is accused of cultural appropriation for using the Sanskrit word Mantra as the title of new single; The “How You Like That” controversy is surfacing again

BLACKPINK's Jennie is ready for her solo comeback with brand new single “Mantra.” The K-pop idol has been building anticipation with her genius marketing skills, revealing new teasers and images. Amid the furor, however, she is also facing accusations of cultural appropriation and a new controversy surrounding the song's name, Mantra. Fans have since defended her, pointing out that the word has been used by many artists over the years.

Recently, some posts appeared on X (formerly Twitter) accusing Jennie of cultural appropriation. One user pointed out that mantra is derived from two Sanskrit words that define a tool for the mind.

“The word 'mantra' has literally nothing to do with the lyrics she wrote and it is disrespectful,” the person wrote, accusing her of disrespecting the Hindu religion. Another user accused her of “exploiting” Hindu culture with her song title.

Given this situation, BLACKPINK's previous controversy surrounding the “How You Like That” music video resurfaced online.

Users pointed out that at the time they placed the statue of the Hindu god Ganesha on the ground while Lisa sat on a “throne” and tapped. Many expressed discomfort and accused the group of cultural appropriation by placing a sacred object on the ground as a prop. Following the controversy, the music video was edited and the statue was removed from it.

In light of these recent allegations, some even called for Jennie to remove her mantra tattoo on her waist and shin.

Meanwhile, fans have defended the BLACKPINK member, calling the accusation “false anger.” Some pointed out that many other foreign artists had previously released songs with the word but had never faced such criticism.

Others mentioned: “It is the version of the word 'mantra' that is already being exported into the Western vocabulary with a different, causal meaning, just like 'yoga', 'karma', etc.” BLINKS calls the accusers “haters” who trying to spread a “false negative” ahead of Jennie’s big day.

Meanwhile, Jennie's new single “Mantra” is due out on October 11th. This will be the K-pop star's first solo music in a while. She also has two songs in her solo discography so far, SOLO and an English special single You & Me.

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