Lee Hi’s “HSKT” is experiencing newfound popularity on TikTok. But while she enjoys her reverse run on the social app, music listeners are also finding out about the singer’s past controversies.
“HSKT,” a collaboration between Lee Hi and Wonstein, was released in September 2021 as one of 10 tracks from his hit album “4 Only.”
The song was also nominated for Best R&B Soul Song at the 2022 Korea Music Awards, proving its impact and virality.
But as fans delight in using the song in their TikTok videos, or join the current dance trend on the app with “HSKT,” Lee Hi’s previous controversy has also resurfaced.
In 2016, Lee Hi interacted with his fans through a live broadcast during the promotions of his album “Seoullite”. All was well, as she played a Rihanna song and sang along with it, until she accidentally sang the “n” word.
Lee Hi immediately apologized by covering her mouth, saying, “Oops! Shouldn’t I have said that?”
Fast forward to 2024, some new fans are discovering his past mistake. On TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), people expressed disappointment, saying it’s such a shame that a singer who has a good discography is “problematic.”
In a TikTok video, the user wrote: “How are people just now finding out that Lee Hi is racist?” Accompanying the video is another of the singer’s viral tracks on the app, “Only.”
Another internet user said: “Me after finding out he is racist [heartbroken emoji]”
Here are some of the comments on Lee Hi’s past controversy:
