"Ditto" | ||||
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Single by NewJeans | ||||
from the album OMG | ||||
Language |
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Released | December 19, 2022 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:05 | |||
Label | ADOR | |||
Composer(s) |
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Lyricist(s) |
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Producer(s) | 250 | |||
NewJeans singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Ditto" (Side A) on YouTube "Ditto" (Side B) on YouTube |
"Ditto" is a song by the South Korean girl group NewJeans, released on December 19, 2022, by ADOR, a label of Hybe Corporation. The producer 250 composed "Ditto" with Ylva Dimberg, who wrote the lyrics with The Black Skirts, Oohyo, and NewJeans member Minji. With a sound rooted in Baltimore club, the track incorporates a balladic electronic and dance production with influences of house, breakbeat, and UK garage. The lyrics are about reminiscing a platonic love.
"Ditto" topped South Korea's Circle Digital Chart for a record-breaking 13 weeks. It peaked at number eight on the Billboard Global 200; topped the charts in Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam; and reached the top 10 in Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the Philippines. It also currently holds the record for longest-running Perfect all-kill—a feat referring to a song's consistent number-one position on IChart's real-time, daily, and weekly charts—at 655 hours. [1] Music critics praised the wintry, minimalist, and nostalgia-inducing production and deemed it a refreshing alternative to the maximalist sound that had saturated the K-pop market. The song ranked 19th on Rolling Stone 's 2023 list of the 100 Greatest Songs in the History of Korean Pop Music, being the most recent entry.
The accompanying music video was shot in Daegu, South Korea, and depicts the group members as high-school students recording their daily lives using a camcorder. In 2023, it won Song of the Year at the annual Asia Artist Awards, Korean Music Awards, MAMA Awards, and Melon Music Awards. Later that year, both the Korea Music Content Association and the Recording Industry Association of Japan certified "Ditto" platinum for surpassing 100 million streams in respective countries.
South Korean girl group NewJeans released their first eponymous extended play (EP) in August 2022 to commercial success and critical acclaim. The EP topped South Korea's Circle Music Chart, [2] selling 311,200 copies in its first week. [3]
On November 10, 2022, ADOR announced through NewJeans' social medias that the group would release their first single album, OMG , on January 2, 2023. [4] CEO and executive producer Min Hee-jin stated that the release would be preceded by an unnamed single "prepared for [the group's] first winter with Bunnies (NewJeans' official fanbase)" and set to be released on December 19. [4] The song's title, "Ditto", was announced on December 12 through three moving posters: one featured lyrics from the song, while the other two showed two rabbits, one red and the other white, running. [5] The following day, Min stated that the project would feature artists Oohyo and The Black Skirts, who had written part of "Ditto"'s lyrics, and advertising director Shin Woo-seok, who had directed its two-part music video. [6] "Ditto" was released on December 19 alongside its music video. [7]
The producer 250 programmed "Ditto" and composed it with Ylva Dimberg. [8] The song is set in a time signature of 8
4 and has a fast tempo of around 130 beats per minute. [9] It has a balladic production rooted in Baltimore club, expanding on the club-music sensibilities of NewJeans' past songs. [10] [11] With a primarily electronic and dance sound, [12] [13] "Ditto" opens with atmospheric synth pads [14] over which group member Hyein hums. [15] Soft, staccato beats and claps using 808 drums drive the track [14] [15] [16] and create syncopated rhythms that evoke UK garage, breakbeat, and 1980s house. [12] [17] [18] The song incorporates a low bassline and occasional hi-hats as it progresses over the synth choral base. [15]
Yoo Seong-eun from the South Korean music webzine Music Y said the song's rhythm evokes late-2000s Japanese Shibuya-kei artists such as FreeTEMPO and Daishi Dance, whereas its atmosphere reminisces the Weeknd's alternative R&B track "Die for You" (2016). [18] Music critics described the production as hazy, ethereal, and dreamy, which evokes a wintry atmosphere. [17] [18] [19] Joshua Minsoo Kim of NPR wrote that the synth chords feel like "freshly fallen snow, embodying the down-home comforts of the holiday season", [14] and JT Early of Beats Per Minute felt the soundscape was "chill" and "slightly darker" than the group's previous output. [12] Rolling Stone said the vocal harmonies evoked "Y2K-era Black American girl groups". [20]
The lyrics were written by group member Minji, Ylva Dimberg, The Black Skirts, and Oohyo. [8] Reviewers interpreted the song as a confession of a platonic love. [9] [21] NewJeans sing "My feelings for you, like the memories we share, have grown so big", hoping that they are reciprocated. [14] Minji said that while writing "Ditto", she envisioned a scene of "a winter mountain that felt kind of cold, but warm at the same time", which made her "put some objects inside the mountain, for example, like a tree house and a campfire". [16]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
IZM [22] |
Kim appreciated NewJeans' minimalist production choices that set them apart from their contemporaries in the K-pop scene. [14] Ko Kyung-seok of the Hankook Ilbo praised 250's production and noted that the composition, though straightforward, "hides experimentation and complexity". [9] Bang Ho-jung of Kookje Shinmoon was moved by the song and thought that the "simple sound" allows the listener to focus on the vocals, melody, and lyrics. [10] Critic Kim Yun-ha deemed the composition "ordinary", but found the song emotionally touching, writing that "Ditto" encapsulates a winter made of "small fragments of memories that were hidden between the bone-chilling sub-zero cold, the huge tree, the noisy street scene and the laughter of friends". [23]
Beats Per Minute 's JT Early wrote that the song "best captures the 'winter' side of the group, refreshing and slightly darker in the soundscape". [12] Sara Delgrado of Teen Vogue deemed "Ditto" one of their best releases yet, [15] while Rolling Stone India 's Divyansha Dongre said that the track was a "phenomenal" ending to their 2022 "musical chapter". [17] Crystal Bell placed "Ditto" at number 25 in Mashable 's list of the 25 best K-pop songs of 2022. [24] Rolling Stone ranked it number 19 in their 2023 list of the 100 Greatest Songs in the History of Korean Pop Music. [20] Webzine Music Y ranked "Ditto" first place in their ranking of the 10 best songs of 2023. [25] Kim Do-heon, member of the selection committee at the Korean Music Awards, described "Ditto" as "fresh and warm at the same time, new and nostalgic at the same time, a song that symbolizes the winter of 2022". [26] Paste placed the song at 23 on their list of the 100 best songs of the 2020s so far. [27]
"Ditto" won eight first place music program awards in South Korea, including a triple crown (three awards) on Inkigayo . It also won a Melon Weekly Popularity Award on January 23, 2023. [28]
Award ceremony | Year | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Asia Artist Awards | 2023 | Song of the Year | Won | [29] |
Billboard Music Awards | 2023 | Top Global K-Pop Song | Nominated | [30] |
Circle Chart Music Awards | 2024 | Artist of the Year – Digital | Won | [31] |
Artist of the Year – Streaming Unique Listeners | Won | |||
Clio Music Awards | 2024 | Best Music Videos | Shortlisted | [32] |
Golden Disc Awards | 2024 | Digital Daesang (Song of the Year) | Won | [33] |
Digital Song Bonsang | Won | |||
Japan Record Awards | 2023 | Excellent Work Award | Won | [34] |
Grand Prix | Nominated | |||
Korean Music Awards | 2024 | Song of the Year | Won | [35] |
Best K-pop Song | Won | |||
MAMA Awards | 2023 | Song of the Year | Won | [36] |
Best Dance Performance Female Group | Won | |||
Melon Music Awards | 2023 | Song of the Year | Won | [37] |
Program | Date | Ref. |
---|---|---|
Show! Music Core | January 7, 2023 | [38] |
January 14, 2023 | [39] | |
January 28, 2023 | [40] | |
February 4, 2023 | [41] | |
Inkigayo | January 8, 2023 | [42] |
January 29, 2023 | [43] | |
February 5, 2023 | [44] | |
Music Bank | January 13, 2023 | [45] |
"Ditto" debuted at number one on South Korea's Circle Digital Chart in the issue dated December 18–25, 2022, earning NewJeans their second number-one single in the country after "Attention". [46] It remained atop the chart for thirteen weeks, becoming the longest-running number one song in the chart's history. [47] [48] The song debuted at number one on the Billboard Vietnam Hot 100 in the chart issue dated December 29, 2022, [49] becoming their first number-one single in the country. [50] It topped the chart for three consecutive weeks, after which it was replaced by their own "OMG", making NewJeans the international artist with the most weeks atop the chart alongside Blackpink. [51] [52] "Ditto" reached number one on the Indonesia Songs chart. [53] The song spent three and four consecutive weeks atop the Singapore's Top Streaming Chart and the Taiwan Songs chart, respectively. [54] [55] In Japan, the song peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 [56] and number 13 on the Oricon Combined Singles Chart. [57]
In the United Kingdom, "Ditto" was NewJeans' first entry on the Official Singles Chart, peaking at number 95. [58] The song debuted at number 17 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 in the chart issue dated January 7, 2023, [59] and entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 96 two weeks later with 5.1 million US streams, becoming the group's first entry on the chart. [60] They were the fastest Korean act to enter the chart [61] and the fifth Korean group after Wonder Girls, BTS, Blackpink and Twice. [62] The song peaked at number 82 in its fifth week on the chart. [63] "Ditto" became NewJeans' highest-ranked song on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100, reaching number 43. [64] It also charted in Australia (54), [65] Canada (43), [66] Hong Kong (3), [67] Malaysia (2), [68] the Netherlands (31), [69] Philippines (2), [70] and Portugal (153). [71]
The song was NewJeans first top-10 hit on the Billboard Global Excl. US, peaking at number four with 41.9 million streams and 3,000 digital downloads sold in the period of December 30, 2022–January 5, 2023. [72] It debuted at number 36 on the Billboard Global 200 in the chart issue dated December 31, 2022, [73] and peaked at number eight two weeks later with 46.5 million streams and 4,000 digital downloads sold, making NewJeans the fourth Korean group to enter the chart's top-10 after BTS, Blackpink, and Big Bang. [74]
Director Shin Woo-seok, CEO of South Korean video production company Dolphiners Films, was approached by Min to direct a music video about the relationship between idols and fans. She offered him full creative control, although she suggested Shin include a scene with "a deer standing alone in a snowy field". At the time, Shin wasn't interested in working in the idol industry, but found the offer intriguing and wanted to try something new. Shin said he "wanted to talk about the fact that the relationship between an idol and a fan ultimately comes to an end, the meaning of the process, and the existence of each other", but he was unsure of how the video would be received. The concept was approved by the label and Min introduced NewJeans to Shin, who described them as "pure and fun as kids their age". [75]
Shin wanted to use an innovative scene composition compared to the "standardized framework" he had observed in most K-pop music videos. He introduced a sixth unnamed character, intended to symbolize NewJeans' fans, to provide a different point of view and to showcase the choreography in a way that fit into the story. Initially indicated as "A" in the script, Shin named the character Ban Hee-soo after the announcement of NewJeans' fandom name, Bunnies. [75] The deer, instead, was meant to symbolize an ideal friend. Shin said he was influenced by a Greek myth of the goddess Circe found in Homer's Odyssey , where she transforms men into swines. [76] Shin had initially planned to make only one music video, but decided to split it after the song was shortened. He explained that each part reflects one of two themes: hope and despair. [75]
The music video was mainly shot in three locations around Jung District, Daegu: Gyeseong Middle School, Cheongna Hill, and Dongsan Medical Center. [77] Shin wanted to faithfully portray a Korean hagwon. While thinking back to his school days, [76] he decided to shoot part of the video with a camcorder. Shin thought it could be a realistic and effective medium to convey Hee-soo close relationship with NewJeans, as she is shown filming her friends dancing with the camcorder. Since he didn't have times to realize CGI, Shin brought to set a real deer. [75] Choi Hyun-wook and Park Ji-hu made cameo appearances. [78]
The music video drew attention for its "retro yet dreamy" atmosphere that reminded Generation X viewers of their school days. [79] [10] Several reviewers compared it to the Whispering Corridors film series (1998–2021; also known as the Girls' High School Ghost Story series); some reviewers also compared it to Love Letter (1995) and Hana and Alice (2004) by Japanese director Shunji Iwai, [10] famous for depicting the sense of loss and anxiety of becoming an adult in his films. [80] Bang felt emotional watching the music video as it evoked old memories. [10] Benjamin praised the video for "perfectly" capturing "the loneliness and awkwardness one can feel in adolescence, even when surrounded by friends". [21] Writing for Weekly Dong-a , music critic Mimyo wrote that NewJeans "challenges the idol fantasy": while idols usually create an emotional bond with fans by showing them all facets of their lives, in the music video NewJeans are depicted as "ghost-like" figures, whose past and relation to the public is unclear. [81] Delgrado likened the "hazy visuals" to those of Sofia Coppola's films. [15] According to Elle Korea , the music video contributed to the resurgence of camcorders. [82]
NewJeans performed "Ditto" on South Korean music programs Inkigayo on January 15, 2023, and Music Bank on January 20 and 27, 2023, after having already won four trophies for the song at different music programs in the previous weeks. [83] [84] [85] They garnered four additional trophies, reaching a total of eight wins for "Ditto". [40] [43] [41] [44]
Song
Credits adapted from Melon. [8]
Music video
Credits adapted from YouTube. [86]
Weekly charts
| Monthly charts
Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Japan (RIAJ) [102] | 2× Platinum | 200,000,000† |
South Korea (KMCA) [103] | Platinum | 100,000,000† |
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | December 19, 2022 | ADOR | [104] |
Melon is a South Korean online music store and music streaming service introduced in November 2004, and developed by SK Telecom. LOEN Entertainment became the company-in-charge of the service in 2009. In 2017, Kakao merged Kakao Music into Melon to have one, unified music streaming service.
NewJeans is a South Korean girl group formed by ADOR, a sub-label of Hybe. The group is composed of five members: Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein. Mainly produced by Min Hee-jin, they are known for their 'girl next door' image and musical stylings reminiscent of the 1990s and 2000s.
New Jeans is the debut extended play (EP) by the South Korean girl group NewJeans. It was released on August 1, 2022, by ADOR, a subsidiary of Hybe Corporation. Produced by Min Hee-jin, 250, and Park Jin-su, the EP draws from synth-pop, hip hop, and R&B and infuses elements of musical styles from the 1990s and 2000s decades. The songs "Attention", "Hype Boy", and "Cookie" were released as singles.
"After Like" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Ive for their third single album of the same name. It was released as the single album's lead single by Starship Entertainment on August 22, 2022. It is a pop song that draws from EDM, disco, and house music with lyrics about "showing your love methods with actions rather than your heart".
"Attention" is the debut single by the South Korean girl group NewJeans. The music video for the song was surprise-released on July 22, 2022, and the track was released for download and streaming as part of their self-titled debut EP in August 2022. Written and composed by 250, Duckbay, Gigi, and the group member Danielle, "Attention" is a pop and R&B track with elements of late-1990s and early-2000s music such as house music on a new jack swing beat, and it incorporates dynamic key changes between the major and minor chords. Its lyrics are about the sensations of young infatuation.
"Hype Boy" is a song by the South Korean girl group NewJeans, taken from their debut extended play (EP), New Jeans (2022). ADOR, an independent division of Hybe Corporation, released four music videos for the song on July 23, 2022, each focusing on the members and their narratives. "Hype Boy" was officially released for download and streaming as the second single of the EP on August 1, 2022.
"Cookie" is a song by South Korean girl group NewJeans. It was released as the third single from their debut self-titled extended play by ADOR on August 1, 2022.
OMG is the first single album by South Korean girl group NewJeans. It was released on January 2, 2023, by ADOR. It contains the lead single of the same name and "Ditto", which was released prior to the single album on December 19, 2022.
"OMG" is a song by the South Korean idol girl group NewJeans from their single album of the same name (2023). ADOR, a division of Hybe Corporation, released "OMG" for download and streaming on January 2, 2023. Park Jin-su produced the track and composed it with Ylva Dimberg and David Dawood. The lyrics, written by Dimberg, Gigi, and NewJeans member Hanni, were inspired by high school dramas and explore themes of young love, dedication, and one-sided affection. It blends R&B, hip hop, and pop, featuring hip-hop percussion, trap rhythms, and a UK garage-inflected groove. The song includes plucked staccato synth chords, skittering cowbells, and layered vocal harmonies and percussion.
"Beautiful Liar" is a song recorded by the South Korean boy group Monsta X for their twelfth extended play Reason. It was released as the EP's lead single by Starship Entertainment and Kakao Entertainment on January 9, 2023.
Get Up is the second EP by the South Korean girl group NewJeans, released on July 21, 2023 by ADOR. Park Jin-su, 250, Frankie Scoca, Catharina Stoltenberg, and Henriette Motzfeldt produced the EP, which consists of six tracks. Its production draws from R&B and dance styles such as UK garage, drum and bass, Baltimore and Jersey club, characterized by lively beats and synthesizers. Lyrically, the EP mainly revolves around feelings ensued from friendship and love.
"Super Shy" is a song by the South Korean girl group NewJeans, featured as the first of three singles from their second extended play, Get Up (2023). ADOR, a division of Hybe Corporation, released the song for download and streaming on July 7, 2023, alongside the prologue song "New Jeans." Later, "Super Shy" was sent to contemporary hit radio in the United States through Interscope Records on August 15, 2023. It is a mix of liquid drum and bass, bubblegum, and Jersey club, featuring a staccato kick drum pattern. Written by Gigi, Kim Dong-hyun, Erika de Casier, Kristine Bogan, Frankie Scoca, and NewJeans member Danielle, it is about a shy person who expresses their feelings to a crush.
"ETA" is a song by the South Korean idol girl group NewJeans from their second extended play (EP), Get Up (2023). ADOR released the song on July 21, 2023, as a single to promote the EP. "ETA" was written by Beenzino, Gigi, and Ylva Dimberg whilst composition was handled by 250 and Dimberg. Its accompanying music video, a collaboration with Apple, was filmed in Barcelona and shot entirely on the iPhone 14 Pro.
"How Sweet" is a song by the South Korean girl group NewJeans from their second single album of the same name. It was released by ADOR on May 24, 2024, along with the B-side track "Bubble Gum". NewJeans began promoting the single in April 2024, through the release of the music video for "Bubble Gum" on YouTube, featuring the Japanese version of the track in advertisements and television programs in Japan, and appearing on music shows and variety shows in South Korea. The single album debuted at number one in South Korea. It has been described as a Miami bass song with electroclash production.
"Supernatural" is a song by South Korean girl group NewJeans. ADOR released it as a CD single on June 21, 2024, along with the B-side track "Right Now". Produced by 250, "Supernatural" contains an interpolation of a section from the 2009 track "Back of My Mind" by Manami and songwriter Pharrell. "Supernatural" and "Right Now" became NewJeans's first releases in Japanese, marking their debut in the Japanese music market. NewJeans began promoting in the country in April 2024, by announcing a fan meeting, opening pop-up stores in partnership with Kao and Shibuya109, having "Right Now" be featured in advertisements ahead of the official release, and teasing collaborations with Japanese artists Takashi Murakami and Hiroshi Fujiwara.
"Bubble Gum" is a song by South Korean girl group NewJeans. It was released by ADOR on May 24, 2024, as a B-side on the group's second single album How Sweet (2024). NewJeans began promoting the song on April 27, 2024, through the release of a music video on YouTube. The single album debuted at number one in South Korea.