The teaser for Stray Kids’ “Run It” immediately triggered a massive fan war on social media. Right after the preview came out, some BTS ARMY accused Stray Kids of copying BTS’s recent hip-hop style. Once the clips started spreading, fans dragged “Run It” into the debate, and people linked the teaser to BTS’s track “Hooligan.” At the center of this Stray Kids BTS plagiarism controversy is a common argument: it’s not a direct copy, but some listeners feel the vibe, flow, and structure are just too similar
#that khia kpop group just lifted the entire concept of ‘hooligan’ only for it to end up looking like a temu replica with the most generic music playing in the background lmfao
— ⊹ ࣪ ˖ (@nyhsjtjbts) June 21, 2026
Wow this looks like bts hooligan MV
— KpopInsider (@KpopInside4rdi) June 21, 2026
Stradogs are just bunch of cheap copycats https://t.co/FshORYZssg
Many ARMYs claimed that “Run It” copied the fast, aggressive hip-hop style of BTS’s “Hooligan.” They also pointed to the music video’s dark, rebellious style and black-and-white visuals as proof that the concept was copied.
STAYs pushed back immediately. They pointed out that the clip is just a teaser, not the full song. STAYs defended the group by pointing out that Stray Kids has been building this dark, high-energy hip-hop style since their NOEASY album in 2021. Fans argued that self-produced stadium hits like “GIANT” prove this sound belongs to them. They said the aggressive energy and heavy bass in “Run It” are a natural part of Stray Kids’ own musical identity, not a copy of BTS’s “Hooligan.”
Still, no official statement has come from Stray Kids, JYP Entertainment, BTS, or HYBE. For now, the plagiarism claims against Stray Kids look like another typical fan war. Fans treat short clips, similar vibes, and standard music styles as hard proof before the groups even release the full songs.