EPEX's agency, C9 Entertainment, has announced lyrical changes after being accused of using the Holocaust as a concept. Keep on reading for all the details.
#C9_APOLOGIZE: EPEX's Agency Accused of Using Nazi Germany Historical Event as a Concept
On April 11, EPEX made a comeback with their third mini-album, "Prelude of Anxiety Chapter 1. '21st Century Boys'," and its lead single "Anthem of Teen Spirit." Following the release, many noted that the concept references to Nazis.
Specifically, people claimed the song referenced Kristallnacht, a pogrom against Jews carried out by Nazis on November 9 & 10, 1938. Nazi soldiers would ransack Jewish homes, stores, and hospitals. Jewish buildings were demolished with sledgehammers and several Jewish citizens were murdered.
The event literally translates to "Crystal Night." In EPEX's song, one of the lyrics states, "Crystal night is coming."
People believe this is not a mistranslation, as they use the Korean words "수정의 밤." This is the Korean name for Kristallnacht, leading many to believe the reference was intentional.
Another lyric that caused the uproar is the line "I see them burning raw." People believe the lyrics reference the Holocaust and Kristallnacht. This is highly insensitive to the Jewish families who lost their lives due to the tragic events.
The lyrics "Tonight, the crystals that protected us are shattered" also drew outrage, as they seemed to reference the shards of broken glass that covered the streets following Kristallnacht. The event is called "Crystal Night" to glamorize the incident by calling the glass crystals.
Additionally, it was noted that their costumes were similar to those of German Police during Nazi Germany in World War 2.
Many EPEX supporters flooded Albin Nordqvist, one of the songwriters of "Anthem of Teen Spirit," for an explanation. He replied to some people, saying he had only written the original English melodies and lyrics. The Korean lyrics for the song were entirely rewritten.
C9 Entertainment Changes Lyrics of 'Anthem of Teen Spirit' Following Nazi Concept Accusations
Following the backlash, C9 Entertainment released a statement on April 13 announcing changes to the lyrics of "Anthem of Teen Spirit."
이펙스(EPEX)의 미니 3집 [불안의 서 챕터 1. 21세기 소년들]의 타이틀곡 <학원歌> 가사, 뮤직비디오 및 의상 관련 논란에 대한 당사의 입장입니다. pic.twitter.com/wcZF5XZHva
— C9 Entertainment (@OfficialC9ent) April 13, 2022
Specifically, the company will be changing the lyrics "The night in the crystal" to "Myself in the crystal", "Tonight, the crystals that protected us are shattered" to "The crystals that protected us are shattered, today I will", "I see them burning raw" to "I see them running now", and "Crystal Night is coming" to "Crystal Light is coming."
The company also noted that EPEX's concept was primarily inspired by George Orwell's book "1984," which was published in 1949. They stressed that it had nothing to do with Kristallnacht. The costumes were not meant to represent German soldiers and were instead inspired by motifs from "1984."
C9 Entertainment also stated that the English lyrics from the demo song were different and did not affect the final lyrics.
The company apologized and announced they were taking this opportunity to be more careful and mindful.
What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below.
For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz.
KpopStarz owns This
Written by Alexa Lewis
