Amidst the hype and excitement to the friendly competition over the global charts between K-pop and international artists, some fans are going overboard and are taking the chart domination personally and unfairly. Recently, K-pop idols Baekhyun and Suga are receiving hate reviews on UK iTunes from KSI's fans.
The issue started between ARMYs and KSI's fans when Olajide "JJ" Olatunji, or popularly known as KSI who became known in public after becoming an internet celebrity, UK rapper, and boxer, dropped his album, "Dissimulation."
As soon as he released his album, he promised his fans that he would go bald if he reaches the no. 1 on iTunes. And this promise, not long after, drove fans' desire to see him bald that they began mass-streaming his album to achieve their goal.
Meanwhile, rapper of the global K-pop group, Suga, also returned with his second mixtape, "D-2," as his moniker, Agust D. This means that his comeback overlapped with KSI's album release date, and it immediately climbed as on top of the official album chart.
When KSI's album was overpowered by "D-2," some KSI fans started hurling hateful comments and reviews on Suga's mixtape, mass-rating it with 1 star, while some are also leaving racist, insensitive, and offensive remarks against the idol and his album.
As soon as ARMYs found out about the issue beyond belief, the fandom was seething, knowing that Suga (Agust D) worked hard for his mixtape, and his efforts and passion for music have been invalidated by non-K-pop fans for being the receiving end of unnecessary bad reviews.
Apart from Suga, on May 25, Baekhyun also came back with his second solo mini-album, "Delight." Like "D-2," the EXO member's new album has received the same hate reviews from KSI's fans after the album immediately soared on the charts.
Baekhyun's album on UK iTunes was being mass-reviewed with 1 star and displeasing comments as well in an attempt to pull his album down. EXO-Ls are then furious about the incident, along with ARMYs, and said that KSI fans' rudeness and disrespect toward their idols just to stay on top are entirely unnecessary and immature.
At the same time, KSI didn't tolerate his fans' behavior as well and told them to stop. As the UK rapper and online celebrity found out that he became no. 1 in UK iTunes, he encouraged fans of BTS and English band The 1975 to work harder and stream their idol's respective albums more diligently.
While some see this as good encouragement, some ARMYs were convinced that KSI was being sarcastic, pertaining that though The 1975 and Suga both have a huge fanbase, he's still no. 1.
On the other hand, ARMYs and EXO-Ls have the biggest riposte against KSI fans, as Baekhyun's "Delight," and Agust D's "D-2" are currently no. 1 and no. 2, respectively, at the Worldwide iTunes Chart.
In addition to this, these two K-pop fandoms promised themselves that they wouldn't stoop down on the level of some KSI fans and will compete fairly.
