WDBZ Vata Addresses Plagiarism Issue Concerning 'New Thing' & ATEEZ's 'Say My Name' Choreos

WDBZ Vata has finally gave his stance on the plagiarism controversy over his "New Thing" choreography being similar to that of ATEEZ's "Say My Name." Keep reading to know his explanation.

WDBZ Vata Comments on Plagiarism Issue Concerning 'New Thing' & ATEEZ's 'Say My Name' Choreos

On Oct. 14, WDBZ Vata took to his personal Instagram account to release a statement addressing the issue about him plagiarizing an iconic dance move in ATEEZ's "Say My Name" choreography for his "New Thing" (by Zico) performance on "Street Man Fighter."

He's statement is as follows:

"This is Vata.

I thought it was merely a cold wind passing by, but now I've decided to write this post to avoid any further misunderstandings from emerging.

First, about the controversy,

When I first heard the music, I quickly thought of a plain in the wilderness. So I made the intro choreography depicting a scene of a character arriving on a motorcycle or a horse. That's why there is a movement of starting a motorcycle engine at the start, followed by a big kick, and finally, a move that signals the rider getting off from the motorcycle or the horse, and there is a story with a beginning, middle, and end.

I think that it is entirely different from the intent and connection between the movements of the choreography to which it is currently being compared to.

As someone who loves the culture of dance, I believe that it's admirable when artists and choreographers respect each other. However, I do not think this is the case right now, which I find very unfortunate.

Regardless of the reason, as the controversy arose partially due to my involvement, I feel apologetic toward the viewers of 'Street Man Fighter' and everyone who has been rooting for We Dem Boyz about the fact that I caused a controversy. I will repay you for the burden I have caused through even better performances. Thank you."

Earlier this week, WDBZ Vata was accused of plagiarizing the popular "driving" dance move from ATEEZ's "Say My Name," which came out back in 2019. The allegations arose after he won a challenge on "Street Man Fighter" wherein all of the crew leaders were tasked with creating an original choreography for Zico's "New Thing." Since then, his "New Thing" challenge has become a massive trend.

RELATED: ATEEZ's Choreographer Calls Out 'SMF' Vata Amid 'Say My Name' Choreography Plagiarism Issue

Amid the controversy, ATEEZ Wooyoung and even one of the three "Say My Name" choreographers, Anze Skrube, called out the WDBZ leader for copying that particular dance move.

What can you say about WDBZ Vata's statement? Share your opinions in the comment box below!

ATEEZ's Latest Comeback

Meanwhile, ATEEZ dropped their new album "THE WORLD EP1: MOVEMENT" on July 29. This new release features the title track "Guerrilla," which earned the boy group a total of six music show wins (as of Aug. 12).

ALSO READ: Concepts of ATEEZ's 2022 Summer Photobook & NCT Dream's 'Hello Future' Draw Comparison

With just one song, ATEEZ doubled their music show trophies since their debut. Prior to the release of "Guerrilla," the band had taken home six music show trophies: Two for "Wave," two for "Inception," one for "Fireworks (I'm The One)," and one for "Deja Vu." This means that the boys now have a total of 12 wins.

Watch ATEEZ's "Guerrilla" music video again below:

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Written by Maria Scott

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