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Blackpink use Ganesha statue in hit music video, and are accused of exploiting Indian religion and culture

  • Blackpink’s video for How You Like That was the most-viewed music video premiere on YouTube with 50 million views in 11 hours
  • Indian fans of the K-pop girl group were outraged at the use of a statue of Hindu god Ganesha in the video, and the statue was removed

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The scene from the Blackpink music video showing the statue of Ganesha in the bottom left.
Haneesa Begum

K-pop girl group Blackpink have come under fire for using a statue of a Hindu deity as a prop in a recent record-breaking music video.

The group’s highly anticipated comeback single, How You Like That, made YouTube history as the most-viewed music video premiere – taking over from BTS’ Boy With Luv. The Blackpink video, uploaded on June 26, hit 50 million views in just over 11 hours, and has so far received almost 230 million views.

However, fans were quick to point out that a scene in the video featured a statue of The Hindu deity Ganesha placed on the floor in the background. The scene occurs at the one minute, 20-second mark, and features group member Lisa rapping while seated on a throne, with the statue behind her. Some fans demanded the removal of the statue from the video.

Blackpink label YG Entertainment has since removed the controversial scene from the music video. The Ganesha statue has been replaced with an item that resembles a cylindrical black gas tank.

Ganesha is worshipped as the elephant-headed god of beginnings in Hinduism, and is seen as a remover of obstacles. The deity is also sacred to people who follow Buddhism and Jainism.

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