Blacking up, leashing men and no-bra outfits – are Mamamoo K-pop’s most controversial girl group?
From their raunchy and raw fashion choices to wearing blackface to sing Bruno Mars, the girl group has attracted fans and detractors alike – let’s look back at the highs and lows as Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein and Hwasa celebrate the band’s 6th anniversary
Mamamoo is now entering its sixth year in the K-pop industry – six years which have seen the band embody the image of female empowerment and body positivity. The group comprises four outspoken and talented members – Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein and Hwasa. Founded by RBW Entertainment, the powerhouse quartet is known for dominating the charts both collectively and with solo releases.
But that’s not all they are known for. The girls’ success has also brought them death threats and hateful comments, a sad and sorry response to some of the controversial things they have done, and stunts they have pulled.
As the girl group celebrates their anniversary on June 19, we take a look back at some of the biggest controversies that the group had to overcome and dismiss.
“Blackface” controversy
At their sold out 2017 concert in Seoul, a parody video of the group was shown where the girls performed Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk in dark make-up. Following an understandable uproar, Mamamoo released an apology on social media, saying they were extremely ignorant of “blackface” and did not understand the implications of their doing it, only four hours after the video aired.
The “strawberry jam, come out” nickname