A recent social media interaction stirred up the BTS fandom, causing a public relations issue for Geffen Records. The controversy started when an executive from the label gave a surprising response to a fan’s inquiry about BTS member Jimin’s upcoming release.
The incident began when an enthusiastic supporter of the K-pop star reached out to Geffen Records, Universal Music Group, and Ray Kurzeka, a senior executive at Geffen, via X (formerly Twitter), per Soompi. The fan sought information about pre-order options for Jimin’s anticipated single, “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band.”
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Instead of addressing the fan’s question, Kurzeka bizarrely replied with a link to Gracie Abrams’ collaboration with Taylor Swift, “us.”, labeling it the “song of the year…” This seemingly dismissive response sparked outrage among BTS’s dedicated fanbase, known as ARMY.
The backlash was swift and intense, with fans viewing the executive’s comment as disrespectful and unprofessional. The hashtag “GEFFEN APOLOGIZE TO JIMIN” quickly gained traction on social media platforms.
Responding to the mounting pressure, Geffen Records issued an official statement on June 27, acknowledging the misstep: “An employee of our label issued a single post on his personal social media account in response to an inquiry from fans of Jimin. This was made by mistake and in no way reflects either the views of the employee or those of our company. Both he and the company are deeply sorry that this happened. The post does not comply with the company’s social media policy.”
The label further assured fans that internal measures were being taken to address the situation and prevent similar occurrences in the future. They also urged fans to refrain from personal attacks, emphasizing that the incident would not impact the scheduled release of Jimin’s second solo album, MUSE.
As the dust settles, attention returns to Jimin’s upcoming releases. His pre-release single”‘Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” (featuring Loco) dropped on June 28 at 1 p.m. KST, paving the way for his second solo album, MUSE, slated for July 19. As soon as the song was released, it quickly climbed to the top of the iTunes charts in several countries around the world.
As of 7 a.m. KST on June 29, “‘Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” had already hit No. 1 on iTunes Top Songs charts in at least 108 different locations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Brazil, France, Germany, Australia, Canada, among others. In addition, the YouTube video for “‘Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” had already surpassed 5.5 million views as of 12:30 p.m. KST on June 29.
