What Is Sorb3t? The Controversial J-Pop Idol Group From California, Explained

Over the past few weeks, a controversy has been brewing around a J-pop idol group named Sorb3t. The group appears to have a schoolgirl concept and is clearly a low-budget operation, having only been active since the start of this year. They've only had one performance outside of an ice cream shop but otherwise seem to be trying their best to develop a following online. The only problem, for some commenters online, is that two of the three girls are white and all are American.

What Is Sorb3t?

Sorb3t is a California-based indie J-pop idol trio made of members with the pseudonyms Alice, Berry and April. While they've been documenting their journey online since January, they began going viral in the past few weeks after they posted instructions for their call-and-response chants.

The video received backlash, as users found it fairly cringe. In particular, the leader and pink member of Sorb3t, Berry, received the most backlash, as she used Japanese pronunciations in her call-and-response, like "sutoroberī" to say "strawberry."

After the video went viral, Berry posted an apology video, sans accent, saying, "I genuinely and wholeheartedly apologize to every single person that I have upset or that I have offended with my call and response … I, as a white person, have an insane amount of privilege, and I will never truly understand the struggles that people of color go through." She also said the idea for her chant came from her boyfriend, who is Japanese. Days later, the group reported they'd been doxxed and would be taking time away from Sorb3t to heal.

Why Is Sorb3t Controversial?

For many not intimately familiar with the J-pop idol scene, seeing three American girls, two of whom are white, adopting Japanese speech patterns and J-pop idol aesthetics can read as particularly weeb-ish. Several TikTok commenters accused them of cosplaying as J-pop idols and criticized them for essentially pretending to be Asian. Furthermore, they are far from polished idols, and their amateur performances, looks and behind-the-scenes TikToks fueled further criticism of the group.

However, those more knowledgeable about the J-pop idol scene were quick to point out that simply "not being Japanese" is no great sin in J-pop. J-pop idol culture is accepting of what it dubs "kaigai idols," or overseas idols, who affect the stylings of J-pop without themselves being Japanese.

In K-pop, which arguably has a more widespread fanbase online, there is no equivalent to Kaigai idols, and several commenters opined that the hate Sorb3t received came from K-pop stans who were ignorant of the Kaigai subgenre. Other Kaigai idols, such as PaIDA, tweeted about their frustration with the hate Sorb3t and other Kaigai idols were getting from the K-pop fandom.

Currently, Sorb3t has no original music but the group does have the attention right now, should they choose to continue pursuing making music. Judging from the reactions to them announcing they've been doxxed, some are more sympathetic to their cause while others are learning about the kaigai idol scene.

For more information, check out the Know Your Meme entry on Sorb3t.