SM Entertainment Steals Songs… Or Transforms Them?

From “Mirotic” to “Dreams Come True,” from “Hot Summer” to “Next Level,” SM Entertainment has built a reputation for reworking songs from outside Korea and turning them into K-pop staples. But where’s the line between a cover, a sample, a demo… and plagiarism?In this episode, Chris and Chantel break down the legal and creative differences between covers, master vs. publishing rights, sampling, interpolation, and demo recordings - and why those distinctions matter more than most fans realize.We dive into SM’s history of licensed remakes, Western songwriting collaborations, and the company’s unique ability to transform existing material into something distinctly “SM.” Are these just copied songs… or carefully negotiated reinventions? References: Dolly Parton - "I Will Always Love You" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0bEZH6ZqG4 Whitney Houston - "I Will Always Love You" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JWTaaS7LdU Big Mama Thornton - "Hound Dog" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoHDrzw-RPg Elvis Presley - "Hound Dog" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNYWl13IWhY BTS - "As I Told You" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inNYQUC6dFs BLACKPINK - "So Hot" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skIfzl96Gc0 TWICE - "End of Time" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxQKaEGrQ38 4Minute - "Milkshake" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrGQBMkXa30 MEOVV - “Abracadabra” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jlLUl8hKGY&pp=ygURbWVvdnYgYWJyYWNhZGFicmE%3D Dara - “Mr. Rover” MV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcWlLGDvmEE&pp=ygUOZGFyYSBtci4gcm92ZXI%3D KAI - “Rover” MV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlTIextYnyQ&pp=ygUOZGFyYSBtci4gcm92ZXI%3D Medium.com "The Art of Clearing a Sample" article https://medium.com/the-courtroom/the-art-of-clearing-a-sample-deciding-if-its-worth-it-and-how-to-actually-do-e26fa56ad090 Busta Rhymes - "Pass The Courvoisier Part II" feat. P. Diddy & Pharrell Williams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4ZUaxyPoZ8 NCT U - "90's Love" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5H8zBb3iao Ke$ha - "Run Devil Run" (Demo) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBjETYX1awQ Girls' Generation - "Run Devil Run" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_gfD3nvh-8 6ix9ine - "Nobody (Closer)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2AN35GVh3U&ab_channel=FunnyYoutubeEdits Winner - "Island" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRj4toENrnA Sarah Connor - "Under My Skin" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33FwMpiWsaA TVXQ! - "MIROTIC" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtJS32n6LNQ A20 MAY - "UNDER MY SKIN" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GioJ0KPZADg&list=RDGioJ0KPZADg&start_radio=1&pp=ygUPYTIwIG1heSBtaXJvdGljoAcB Triple 8 - "Knockout" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czg3-Uw2dfM Super Junior - "Twins (Knock Out)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrazFGFRnhM Nylon Beat - "Like A Fool" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHwRoRB6u_0 S.E.S. - "Dreams Come True" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uiR4SrDGZk aespa - "Dreams Come True" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H69tJmsgd9I Monrose - "Hot Summer" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikgpaT5_XXY f(x) - "Hot Summer" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-rftpZ7kCY Phrased Differently - "Red Light" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tnDNr3gZcU f(x) - "Red Light" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv-8-EgPEY0 Nathalie Makoma - "I Just Wanna Dance" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJGaOefn7nM Girls' Generation - "Tell Me Your Wish (Genie)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SwiSpudKWI AWA - "Like I Do" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DIa-MolAUQ BoA - "Better" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOxl2OIOVII A$ton Wyld - "Next Level" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTKm0mnZgp8 aespa - "Next Level" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TWR90KJl84 Duffy - "Mercy" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7ZEVA5dy-Y Girls' Generation - "Dancing Queen" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXZxc8GSXnI