NewJeans, HYBE and ADOR are facing a new legal battle in the United States after four songwriters filed a copyright lawsuit accusing the group’s 2024 track “How Sweet” of plagiarizing an unreleased demo song.
According to the complaint revealed on May 7 and first reported by Billboard, the lawsuit names ADOR, parent company HYBE, and NewJeans members Minji, Hanni, Haerin, Hyein and Danielle as defendants in the case.
The lawsuit centers around “How Sweet,” the title track from NewJeans’ 2024 EP of the same name. The song became a commercial success after its release in May 2024, reaching No. 15 on the Billboard Global 200 chart and No. 7 on Billboard Global Excl. U.S..
However, four composers — Audrey Armacost, Aidan Rodriguez, Adam Gokcebay and Michael Campanelli — now claim the song copied substantial elements from a demo track titled “One of a Kind.”
According to court documents, Audrey Armacost allegedly received an instrumental track from a publisher in January 2024 and was asked to develop a topline melody and lyrics for possible consideration by NewJeans. She later collaborated with Rodriguez, Gokcebay and Campanelli to complete and record the demo.
The songwriting team claimed they submitted “One of a Kind” to NewJeans’ side but were later informed the track had not been selected. Roughly four months later, after “How Sweet” was officially released, the composers allegedly noticed what they described as significant similarities between the two songs.
The complaint specifically argues that both tracks share structural and melodic similarities, stating that the songs are written in 4/4 time and the same key of B-flat minor. The lawsuit also claims both songs contain an approximately eight-bar topline melody sequence composed of 31 notes divided into four phrases.
The plaintiffs accuse HYBE, ADOR, the NewJeans members, collaborators and distribution partners of infringing on their copyright by allegedly using elements of “One of a Kind” without authorization or proper licensing. Through the lawsuit, the four songwriters are seeking a share of the profits generated from the commercial success of “How Sweet.”
Attorney Trevor Barrett, representing the plaintiffs, stated, “Adam, Aidan, Audrey and Michael are extremely disappointed to discover that their original song ‘One of a Kind’ was blatantly copied in NewJeans’ ‘How Sweet.’ They hope their rights will be recognized through this lawsuit.”
In response to the allegations, agency ADOR firmly denied any plagiarism accusations.
ADOR stated, “We checked with BANA, who was responsible for composing and producing the song, and their position is that no plagiarism took place.” The agency added, “ADOR and the members will also respond to the lawsuit based on BANA’s position.”
Sources: Billboard, U.S. court filings, Daum
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