SM Entertainment is facing renewed criticism following Hearts2Hearts member Ian’s recent cover of aespa Karina’s solo track “UP,” which many fans see as part of a broader pattern of sidelining aespa to promote the company’s newer girl group.

The backlash began in late December when MBC announced a special stage for the 2025 MBC Gayo Daejejeon, revealing that Ian would perform “UP.”  While the cover initially drew attention, frustration quickly followed.

Fans pointed out that Karina herself had never been given a proper opportunity to promote the song on major broadcast stages, despite its popularity.

At the time, “UP” had only been performed at aespa’s concerts and once at WATERBOMB Seoul. There were no music show stages, no solo promotions, and no official dance practice video released by SM Entertainment — something typically expected for a well-received solo track.

 

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The situation escalated further after Ian went on to perform “UP” and Hearts2Hearts later uploaded a full dance practice video of her cover.

This move reignited anger among fans, as Karina still has not received similar content for her own song. Many interpreted the decision as SM prioritizing exposure for Hearts2Hearts while continuing to neglect aespa’s individual promotions.

As criticism grew, fans accused the company of leveraging aespa and Karina’s popularity to boost interest in the rookie group.

this better be a joke… like i used to like ian but this is pissing me off. where is karina’s dance practice for up? oh. nowhere. the audacity to do this.. https://t.co/qkDBiIvFUD

— lexi! ୨ৎ (@lexisgarden) January 3, 2026

Ian herself faced a lot of extreme hate due to the cover and dance practice.

SM Entertainment has yet to address the backlash directly, but the controversy has once again put the company’s handling of aespa under intense scrutiny.