A U.S. copyright infringement lawsuit filed on May 7, 2026, has put NewJeans’ 2024 single “How Sweet” at the center of a new legal dispute. The How Sweet lawsuit names ADOR, HYBE and the NewJeans performers, with four songwriters alleging that the track copied key elements from an outside demo titled “One of a Kind.”
The case concerns one of the two main tracks from NewJeans’ double single album “How Sweet,” which HYBE announced for release on May 24, 2024. HYBE’s official notice described “How Sweet” as a dance-pop track using the Miami bass genre and listed “Bubble Gum” as the other main track on the same release.1
NewJeans “How Sweet” Plagiarism Lawsuit: What Was Filed
The lawsuit was filed in the United States on May 7, 2026. The plaintiffs are four songwriters who claim that “How Sweet” copied from “One of a Kind,” a demo that had been submitted for consideration and rejected before the NewJeans single was released.
The complaint alleges “blatant copying” and focuses on musical similarities between the two works. One quoted line from the filing says, “Both works are in 4/4 meter and the key of B flat minor.” The plaintiffs are not seeking removal of “How Sweet” from circulation. Instead, the lawsuit seeks a share of royalties and profits tied to the NewJeans track.
A statement attributed to Trevor Barrett said the plaintiffs “look forward to having their rights acknowledged and vindicated via this lawsuit.” The available source material does not state a court ruling, settlement, injunction, trial date or damages figure. Based on the provided facts, the case is an active claim rather than a decided finding of infringement.
ADOR has denied the plagiarism allegation through its response. The agency said it checked with BANA, the production company connected to the song, and that BANA’s position is that there was no plagiarism. ADOR said it and the NewJeans members would respond to the case in line with BANA’s position.
| Item | Source-backed detail |
|---|---|
| Lawsuit filing date | May 7, 2026 |
| Song at issue | “How Sweet” by NewJeans |
| Named parties | ADOR, HYBE and the NewJeans performers |
| Plaintiffs’ reference work | Demo titled “One of a Kind” |
| Relief sought | Share of royalties and profits, not removal of the track |
| Original release context | Double single album “How Sweet,” released May 24, 20241 |
Release Context for “How Sweet”
“How Sweet” was released as part of NewJeans’ double single album of the same name on May 24, 2024, alongside “Bubble Gum.” HYBE’s official release notice framed the project as a return built around those two main tracks and identified “How Sweet” as Miami bass-influenced dance-pop.1
The official NewJeans site lists the “How Sweet” music video as an official music video entry dated May 23, 2024, one day before the album release date stated in HYBE’s announcement.2 That release chronology matters because the 2026 lawsuit is not about a newly issued track; it concerns a commercially released 2024 single now facing a copyright infringement claim.
The available source material does not provide streaming totals, chart positions, sales figures, production credits beyond the BANA connection, or the full text of the legal complaint. It also does not state whether the plaintiffs’ demo was heard by specific decision-makers, beyond the reported claim that “One of a Kind” had been submitted for consideration and rejected.
Earlier Allegations Were Separate From the U.S. Case
The 2026 lawsuit is separate from earlier online plagiarism allegations involving NewJeans’ “How Sweet” era. In July 2024, K-POP Newswire reported that online users had accused “How Sweet” of resembling Malaysian indie band Midnight Fusic’s 2022 song “Summer Love.” That report described the matter as a netizen-driven allegation, not as a filed lawsuit.3
The same release cycle also drew attention because “Bubble Gum,” the other main track from the “How Sweet” double single album, faced plagiarism allegations in 2024. NME reported on July 23, 2024, that ADOR denied allegations connected to “Bubble Gum” and criticized how the issue had been handled amid the broader HYBE-ADOR conflict.4
Those earlier controversies provide background, but they should not be conflated with the May 2026 U.S. filing. The current lawsuit centers on “How Sweet” and the demo “One of a Kind,” while the July 2024 online discussion involved “Summer Love” and the separate “Bubble Gum” dispute involved another track from the same single album.
For now, the legal status is limited to competing claims and responses: four songwriters allege infringement over “How Sweet,” while ADOR says BANA denies plagiarism and that the agency and NewJeans members will respond accordingly. No final legal determination is included in the available source material, so the dispute remains a pending copyright case rather than a proven infringement finding.
References
- NEWJEANS MAKE A SWEET RETURN WITH THEIR ALBUM HOW SWEET (HYBE, 2024-05-24)
- NewJeans OFFICIAL SITE | MUSIC VIDEO (NewJeans Official Site, 2024-05-23)
- NewJeans’ ‘How Sweet’ Accused of Copying Malaysian Indie Band’s Song ‘Summer Love’ (K-POP Newswire, 2024-07-20)
- NewJeans’ label ADOR blasts HYBE and the media amid ‘Bubble Gum’ plagiarism allegations (NME, 2024-07-23)
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