Australian Influencer Sophia Begg faced backlash for using a song in the Mandarin language to document her vacation in Japan.
On Thursday, July 17, Begg, 21, accompanied an Instagram carousel from her first day in Tokyo with Mandarin rapper SKAI ISYOURGOD’s track “Blueprint Supreme,” according to the New York Post. Multiple fans argued that Begg’s song selection was culturally insensitive.
“Girl I love you but please the song isn’t even in Japanese,” one Instagram commenter replied.
Another poster suggested that Begg’s song choice was emblematic of the way Westerners can sometimes mischaracterize Eastern culture.
“This honestly reflects white privilege on another level… being able to pick and choose parts of someone else’s culture for aesthetic without needing to understand or respect it,” Instagram user Dayannee wrote. “Meanwhile, we as Asians grow up being shamed or mocked for these same things. It’s not just a song or a vibe, it’s a lived culture, and treating it like a trend is harmful.”
The commenter pushed back when one of Begg’s fans theorized that she may have simply picked a song that was “currently trending.”
“The song she used is currently trending, but it’s a Chinese audio. If she actually knew it was Chinese, why use it in a post about Japan?” Dayannee replied. “Mixing up two distinct cultures like that, especially just for aesthetics, comes off as surface-level and trendy. It feels racist because it suggests she chose the song simply because it fit an ‘Asian aesthetic,’ without understanding or caring that Chinese and Japanese cultures are entirely different.”
Elsewhere, multiple Instagram users wrote that the mixup felt like “casual racism.” Begg, who goes by the name Sopha Dopha online and has more than 1 million followers, has seemingly only obliquely referenced the criticism thus far.
A subsequent vlog featured Begg dancing on the street, along with the caption: “When the trip makes it out of the groupchat {there’s three of us).”
Us Weekly has reached out to Begg’s representatives for comment.
Despite the controversy, Begg has continued to vlog about her Tokyo trip, including taking fans along to a sumo match, a ride on the subway and a taste-testing tour of the famed Tsukiji Outer Market.
Begg previously faced controversy in 2023 for claiming that she would dress up as a stingray for a costume party, reports the Daily Mail. When a follower referenced survivalist Steve Irwin’s 2006 death in a stingray attack, Begg appeared to make light of the tragedy.
“I’m going to an Aussie dress-up party in a duo costume. They’re going as Steve Irwin and I’m going as a stingray,” she replied.
Begg’s stingray costume caused a minor scandal on TikTok, leading to her releasing a public apology to the Irwin family in order to “clear up some things.”
“I love Steve Irwin and would never want to cause disrespect to his family or legacy,” the influencer insisted. “He is an iconic Aussie and no offense was meant by my costume … I have thought about and reflected on my costume and I will not be wearing it and apologize wholeheartedly to anyone who was offended by it. That was definitely not my intention. I apologize sincerely.”
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