Choi Yena's 'Hate Rodrigo' MV Deleted From YouTube; Olivia Rodrigo's Team Allegedly Requested Its Removal

Choi Yena's music video for her controversial track "Hate Rodrigo" has been removed from YouTube over alleged copyright issues, according to a report.

On Tuesday, the 23-year-old South Korean artist — who debuted under Yuehua Entertainment in January 2022 — dropped her second mini album, "HATE XX," which includes the seemingly provocative single inspired by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. "Hate Rodrigo" was released alongside an official music video.

After the track's title sparked controversy online, Rodrigo's team allegedly requested that its music video be set to private, South Korean news outlet Xports News reported. International Business Times could not independently verify this information.

It was ultimately taken down from YouTube due to alleged copyright issues involving some scenes in the music video, according to the outlet. These scenes were not identified in the report.

After the music video's removal, a representative from Yena's agency Yuehua said in a statement to the outlet, "We are currently in the process of assessing the situation."

Yena's TikTok videos and teasers featuring the track have also been deleted, most notably those with the hashtag "#Hate_Rodrigo." The only videos still available are those with the hashtags "#HATE_U_CHALLENGE" and "#HATE_XX," which directly refer to the title of the album.

Yena's live performance of "Hate Rodrigo" on Mnet's "M Countdown" is still up on YouTube. The song — featuring (G)I-DLE's Yuqi — can also be streamed on Spotify.

"Hate Rodrigo" was under fire for its title even before it was officially released on music streaming platforms. Some social media users claimed that even if the lyrics were positive, naming the 20-year-old Grammy-winning singer in the title was "rude" and "risky" rather than a good way of paying homage to the artist.

Yena, however, revealed during her comeback showcase in Seoul, South Korea, that despite its title, the track contained no "hate" toward Rodrigo because she is actually a huge fan of the singer.

"['Hate Rodrigo' is] a song that expresses the very cute jealousy I feel for my role model, the person who I admire and respect. It's a song that expresses that cute jealousy through my own charms without any hate. The track is characterized by interesting lyrics and a rock melody. My best friend, (G)I-DLE's Yuqi is featured on the song so it's really, really special," she said Tuesday, according to Allkpop.

Yena also explained that she wanted to incorporate "ironic expressions" to express her desires and affections for the person she idolizes through "sincere lyrics and performances."