SHINee’s latest hit song “Dream Girl” has become mired in a scandal over alleged plagiarism.

The allegation surfaced on YouTube, where a video compares SHINee’s “Dream Girl” with the 2003 song “Vuelve” by Mexican singer Luis Miguel.

Viewers both in Korea and abroad are divided about whether the similarities suggest conscious plagiarism or unconscious borrowing. Some netizens are arguing that perhaps SM Entertainment had bought the copy rights for the Spanish song and sampled some of it on SHINee’s track. However, the other side are backfiring saying if that was the case, Luis Miguel’s “Vuelve” would’ve been credited on the album.

SM Entertainment, which manages SHINee, denied the allegation, saying the two songs differ in terms of harmony and melody. They added that “Dream Girl” is purely an SM creation and was the product of world-recognized pop star Justin Bieber’s producer Shin Hyuk, and the production team Joombas Music Factory.

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