'Spot the Replica': Lisa's Sawadika Faces Copying Claim as Syrian Designer Zeina Says Credit Came After Speaking Out

BLACKPINK star Lisa's new solo track SaWaDiKa has been drawn into a design row after Syrian artist and designer Zeina Issa claimed a coin‑covered headphone accessory in the music video closely resembled her own work.

Zeina raised the allegation on Instagram in early September 2026 and later said she was credited after speaking publicly about the design.

SaWaDiKa was released on 4 September 2026 as a track drawing on Lisa's Thai roots, with its accompanying video featuring the singer and rapper in Bangkok.

Attention soon shifted to the styling dispute after Zeina posted images of what she described as her original coin‑adorned headphones alongside the accessory worn by Lisa and wrote, 'THE OG COINED HEADPHONES!!! SPOT THE REPLICA.'

Lisa's SaWaDiKa Draws a Design Copying Claim

Zeina, described as a London‑based Syrian artist and designer, said the accessory used in the video was an 'exact replica' of her coined headphone design. She directed her criticism at members of the creative team, tagging Nanist and Prapakas in her Instagram post.

Her complaint was not limited to the visual similarity. Zeina said the concept was personal to her and inspired by her 'Arabic roots and culture', and objected to what she said was the lack of initial acknowledgement.

She accused the creatives of copying her idea and objected to what she described as the use of a young graduate designer's personal concept without initially recognising its source.

In the post, she wrote: 'You can copy and imitate but you can never be organically nor Inherently loud!'. Zeina's description remains an allegation, and no court finding of copyright infringement was reported in the sources reviewed.

Some social‑media users cited in subsequent reports criticised the lack of initial credit. Zeina herself also argued that creative teams should work with emerging designers and acknowledge sources of inspiration, whether that inspiration was direct or subconscious.

Credit Added After Lisa's SaWaDiKa Dispute

Later, Zeina updated the caption and said Nanist had contacted her. According to Zeina, Nanist credited and tagged her on the inspiration sketches for the coin‑adorned headphones used in Lisa's SaWaDiKa video.

'After speaking out on the matter and being supported by a number of people on the issue of being copied, @nanist reached out and has credited and tagged me on the inspo sketches,' she wrote in the update.

Zeina said the recognition came after she spoke publicly about the issue and received support from people responding to her allegation. She also sought to separate Lisa herself from the accusation.

Zeina said the post was not intended simply to attack the creatives and added that she did not think the situation was Lisa's fault. Her criticism instead centred on credit, the treatment of emerging designers and the need to recognise the source of creative inspiration.

Creative Credit Becomes Part of SaWaDiKa Discussion

The video, directed by Bang Jae Yeob, was filmed across Bangkok, with locations including the Hua Lamphong area, Soi Chaloem Khet 1 and Dib Bangkok. The release was presented as a homage to Lisa's Thai background, combining rap and hip‑hop with imagery tied to the city.

That cultural framing sits alongside Zeina's explanation of why the headphone design carried particular meaning for her. Zeina said the original headphones were rooted in her Arab heritage, which formed part of her objection to what she described as the design being recreated without initial acknowledgement.

In her updated post, Zeina said creators should 'give credit where credit is due', work with upcoming designers, acknowledge sources of inspiration whether the influence was direct or subconscious, and she pointed people interested in coined headphones back to her own work while thanking model Nakai Usayi for helping the original design gain attention online.