Kim Eana is a lyricist who works with artists signed with Nega Network and LOEN Entertainment. Among those include Brown Eyed Girls, IU, and Sunny Hill.
Kim is very distinctive and recognized in the world of K-Pop lyrics, and she takes her work very seriously. Her works stand out for their unique style in an industry full of predictable, repetitive lyrics about unrequited love and heartbreak - sometimes, even on profound and occasionally controversial subject matters.
However, Kim found herself in the news recently for this particular line:
"Cherish her more than a flower."
That line is from SHINee's hit song called, "If You Love Her," from SHINee's new repackage album "1 and 1." That may look like a simple line, but some of the netizens said that people should not compare women to flowers as such generates sexist undertones.
After that, she made an Instagram post commenting about the controversial track, in which she said: "Expression that says 'cherish her more than a flower,' oops...Let's pay attention." She then got feedback from netizens emphasizing that said part of the lyrics discriminated towards women.
Thus, Kim responded in another Instagram post. Her response constituted her recognition of her shortcomings. An apology, indeed, was in order:
"These days, I often see listeners who are identifying sexist and misogynistic elements in song lyrics. I thought that I was being careful in writing, but I still slip up here and there. It shows that this issue is so deeply embedded in me. I think that it is healthy that someone like me who works in this industry to be aware of women who have become more sensitive to these things. I will become a writer who thinks more deeply about gender stereotypes."
Kim considered the criticism she received as healthy for her career as a lyricist, and that she should exercise greater care in avoiding sexism in her work. She then vowed that next time, she will avoid thinking about male and female stereotypes when working on lyrics.
