What Happened at Kiss of Life Julie’s Birthday Live?

For Julie’s birthday celebration, Kiss of Life members Julie, Natty, Belle, and Haneul participated in a specially themed livestream on April 2, 2025. The group prepared what was intended to be an old-school hip-hop style video presentation. During the broadcast, all four members wore hip-hop-inspired jewelry and adopted speaking patterns and mannerisms that many viewers immediately associated with stereotypical portrayals of Black rappers.

The stylistic choices made during the livestream weren’t arbitrary. According to fan accounts, the group had previously received warnings from followers about cultural sensitivities. Despite these cautions, they proceeded with the themed content.

Fan Backlash Erupts

The reaction from the global K-pop community was swift and severe. Social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), were flooded with criticism of the group’s performance. Many fans and observers argued that the presentation crossed the line from appreciation into harmful stereotyping.

One fan expressed their disappointment on X: “It was her bday theme? Like is the theme for kpop this week just cosplay/stereotype black people?”

Another user emphasized the deliberate nature of the choice: “With prior warning, Kiss of Life cannot claim ignorance or lack of awareness. They knew exactly what they were doing and chose to proceed anyway. This was a racist act, and no apology can undo it.”

The criticism centered around a recurring issue in global entertainment: the difference between cultural appreciation and appropriation, particularly regarding Black culture, which has historically been exploited without proper acknowledgment or respect.

S2 Entertainment’s Response & Apology Regarding Kiss of Life Julie’s Birthday Livestream

Hours after the controversial livestream, S2 Entertainment released an official statement acknowledging the issue and apologizing for the group’s actions:

“This is S2 Entertainment. We’d like to address the issues that arose from the content that was uploaded on KISS OF LIFE’s official YouTube yesterday (April 2).

We sincerely apologize for causing discomfort to our viewers. The true purpose of the content was to celebrate hip hop culture, which serves as much of the musical inspiration for KISS OF LIFE. However, we apologize for our shortcomings in recognizing the negative cultural implications that our content could be perceived to have.

Our members and team promise to approach cultural references with greater caution and respect moving forward. All related content has been removed from all of our channels.”

As promised in their statement, the agency promptly removed all traces of the controversial livestream from their official channels, though clips continued to circulate on social media platforms.

The Group’s Rise in K-pop

This controversy comes at a pivotal time for Kiss of Life, who have been steadily building their reputation in the competitive K-pop industry since their debut on July 5, 2023, with their self-titled extended play (EP) “Kiss of Life.”

In previous interviews, Julie has acknowledged the group’s musical influences, citing established K-pop acts like Blackpink, 2NE1, and BigBang. The members have also expressed their appreciation for international R&B and hip-hop artists, including Ariana Grande, SZA, Rihanna, and Rosalía.

Each member has their own personal influences: Julie looks up to Blackpink and 2NE1, Natty admires BoA and Yerin Baek, Belle draws inspiration from Sabrina Carpenter, and Haneul considers Olivia Rodrigo her role model.

Their growing prominence in the industry has led to significant brand partnerships. Maybelline New York announced Kiss of Life as their new brand ambassador in February 2024, and in March 2025, the group collaborated with global hair treatment brand Fino for its 2025 campaign “Glow Up with Fino.”

Their most recent EP, “Love Yourself,” has achieved commercial success, ranking 6th on the South Korean Circle Album Chart.

Cultural Context and Industry Impact

This incident occurs within a broader context of ongoing discussions about cultural sensitivity in K-pop. The global reach of Korean entertainment has made these issues increasingly important, as groups must navigate the complexities of international audiences with diverse cultural backgrounds.

While Kiss of Life has cited hip-hop as a major influence on their musical style, this controversy highlights the fine line between drawing inspiration from a culture and potentially disrespecting it through stereotypical portrayals.

The incident also raises questions about education and awareness within entertainment companies regarding cultural sensitivities, particularly as K-pop continues to expand its global footprint and appeal to increasingly diverse fan bases.