LE SSERAFIM Faces Plagiarism Accusations From Red Velvet Again

LE SSERAFIM is facing backlash over their upcoming album PUREFLOW for its dark, fairy tale horror concept, which many fans say is too similar to Red Velvet’s signature style.

The controversy began when Source Music dropped teaser images and a concept trailer for PUREFLOW ahead of the album’s May 22 release. The visuals sparked immediate comparisons to Red Velvet, a group well-known for this exact aesthetic.

Fans quickly reacted online, pointing out the overlap and questioning if LE SSERAFIM could match Red Velvet’s execution of the concept.

Not them trying to reheat red velvet nachos
— ✦ (@spicevillains)

you can’t copy red velvet if you can’t sing like red velvet
— j (@kaivore)

now they wanna be red velvet
— new woman (@chlolandria)

This isn’t the first time LE SSERAFIM has faced such comparisons. Their Japanese debut concept photos also drew criticism for resembling Red Velvet’s Chill Kill teaser visuals.

Chill Kill has become a frequent reference in plagiarism debates involving multiple groups, including KiiiKiii, NCT, and IVE, making this a wider issue in K-pop, not unique to LE SSERAFIM.

What do you think? Is LE SSERAFIM’s PUREFLOW concept too close to Red Velvet’s style, or is the fairy tale horror theme fair game for any group? Share your thoughts in the comments on our social media posts!