KISS OF LIFE Faces Backlash Over Controversial Birthday Livestream
On April 2, 2025, KISS OF LIFE encountered significant backlash during a livestream celebrating member Julie’s birthday. The event, themed “old-school hip-hop vibes,” featured members dressed in outfits closely associated with Black and Latino cultures. This decision triggered accusations of cultural appropriation and reliance on racist stereotypes. The livestream clip quickly went viral, igniting outrage across various social media platforms.
In response to the growing criticism, S2 Entertainment, the management company for KISS OF LIFE, issued an official apology. However, the response failed to satiate the discontent among fans and netizens, leading to the closure of multiple fan pages on social media.
A Second Attempt at Apology: Handwritten Note
Just a few days later, on April 5, KISS OF LIFE shared a second apology through a handwritten note posted on their social media channels. In the letter, the members expressed their commitment to learn from this experience and vowed to improve their approach in the future. Reactions to this personal gesture were mixed; while some fans appreciated the effort, others criticized its authenticity.
“It’s giving ChatGPT,” commented an X user, implying that the apology felt somewhat insincere or overly scripted.
The reaction to the apology seemed influenced by a noticeable drop in followers for KISS OF LIFE across social media platforms. Some fans speculated that the initial corporate apology prompted the group to craft a more personal response after witnessing the loss of support.
“Y’all were just testing the waters (with the company apology) and when you saw you lost 200k followers you knew you had to make an apology,”stated one concerned fan.
“If you aren’t black and you’re speaking about accepting this apology, please STFU because you have no right to tell us how to feel about the situation,”another user chimed in.
“Calling this a ‘learning experience’ is f**ked up. Educate yourself beforehand so your learning doesn’t come at the expense of thousands of your fans,”remarked yet another commenter.
Nonetheless, amidst the turmoil, some fans were more forgiving, expressing their willingness to support KISS OF LIFE through this challenging time.
“It’s not my apology to accept but I want to say that I’m here with you girls in learning and growing every step of the way. Kissys have your back,”shared one supportive netizen.
“Appreciate the honesty for real. We all make mistakes — what matters is how you grow from it,”added another fan.
Impact of Controversy on Followers
Subsequent to the livestream incident, KISS OF LIFE experienced a notable decline in followers across several platforms. According to an April 5 report by Pinkvilla, their Instagram following dropped by 56,172 on April 3, followed by a further decrease of 22,266 the next day. Additionally, the group lost approximately 100,000 followers on TikTok and around 8,000 subscribers on YouTube during the same timeframe. Many fan accounts supporting KISS OF LIFE went dark or were eventually deleted, highlighting a shift in community sentiment.
In the wake of these controversies, KISS OF LIFE kicked off their Asian tour, KISS ROAD, on April 4, 2025, shortly after concluding their European leg. The tour will span nine cities, including stops in Bangkok (the hometown of member Natty), Manila, Singapore, Macau, Yokohama, and Osaka. The group is also scheduled to perform at Hungary’s Sziget Festival in August 2025.