American internet personality Trisha Paytas has unexpectedly become a trending topic in K-Pop spaces after releasing her new song “S사랑해 Saranghae (I Love You)” and promoting herself as a K-Pop artist.
Originally known for her YouTube career and internet controversies, Paytas first gained popularity online after launching her channel in 2007 while pursuing acting opportunities in Los Angeles. Over the years, she expanded into music, podcasting, and influencer content.
On May 18, Paytas officially released the Korean-inspired track, which quickly went viral across social media platforms.
The music video immediately drew huge attention online, with many users reacting in disbelief at the unexpected crossover into K-Pop culture.
As the song continued climbing digital charts, Paytas frequently updated fans through Instagram, celebrating the track’s rapid rise on the U.S. iTunes K-Pop rankings.
At one point, she shared excitement after the song reportedly reached No. 45 before continuing to climb even higher.
The chart success soon became a major topic online because the rankings placed her above several established K-Pop artists, including entries from BTS.
However, the situation quickly turned controversial.
A screenshot shared on X appeared to show Paytas liking a comment encouraging her to “end BTS” after fans compared her chart placement to the group’s songs.
The alleged interaction immediately triggered backlash online.
Many fans interpreted the “like” as indirect shade toward BTS, causing criticism against Paytas to intensify rapidly across social media platforms.
The controversy also reignited discussions surrounding Paytas’s past scandals, including previous accusations of racism toward Asians and criticism connected to her political views.
As outrage spread, numerous BTS fans began calling out what they viewed as disrespectful behavior toward one of K-Pop’s biggest groups.
Others argued that the situation was being exaggerated, suggesting the “like” may have been accidental or taken too seriously amid the chaos of viral social media reactions.
Despite the backlash, the song itself continued performing surprisingly well on the charts.
At the time of reporting, “S사랑해 Saranghae (I Love You)” had reportedly climbed to No. 2 on the U.S. iTunes Top K-Pop chart, sitting behind only Golden.
Paytas later celebrated the achievement publicly and promised fans that she plans to release even more music in Korean in the future.
The entire situation has sparked divided reactions online.
Some users view the song as a chaotic internet meme moment rather than a serious K-Pop debut, while others criticize what they see as cultural appropriation and clout-chasing through association with the industry.
Meanwhile, many fans continue debating whether the viral success reflects genuine listener interest or simply the power of online controversy and meme culture.
Regardless, Trisha Paytas’s unexpected entry into K-Pop spaces has already become one of the internet’s strangest viral stories of the week.
