NewJeans | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Seoul, South Korea |
Genres | |
Years active | 2022–present |
Labels | |
Members | |
Website | newjeans |
NewJeans (Korean : 뉴진스; RR : Nyujinseu) 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.
NewJeans debuted on July 22, 2022, with the single "Attention", their first number-one song on South Korea's Circle Digital Chart. It was followed shortly afterwards by two other singles, "Hype Boy" and "Cookie", with the former becoming the longest-running song on the Billboard Global 200 by a K-pop female act. The singles were all featured on their eponymous debut extended play (EP), released in August 2022. In January 2023, they released their first single album, OMG , to commercial success. It was accompanied by two singles, "Ditto" and "OMG". "Ditto" gained widespread popularity, becoming the longest-running number-one song on the Circle Digital Chart and the group's first entry on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.
Their second EP, Get Up , peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 and sold over one million copies in South Korea. Its lead single, "Super Shy", became the group's highest-charting single on the Billboard Global 200 (number two), the US Billboard Hot 100, and the UK Singles Chart. NewJeans has received rookie awards and was featured in listicles such as Time 's Next Generation Leaders and Forbes 's Korea Power Celebrity 40. IFPI named NewJeans the eighth best-selling artist worldwide in 2023.
In 2024, a conflict regarding management actions and artistic control of the group broke out, with former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and NewJeans' members opposing Hybe and ADOR's top executives. On November 28, NewJeans' members announced a unilateral termination of their exclusive contract and vowed to pursue their activities independently from the company. The alleged contract breaches were refuted by ADOR, claiming that the contract still stands.
Their group name alludes to the idea that jeans are a timeless fashion item and the group's intention to carve a timeless image for themselves. [2] The name is also a word play on the phrase "new genes", referring to the group ushering a new generation of pop music. [3] [4]
Before debuting with NewJeans, several group members were involved in television, music and dance. When Australian-born Danielle Marsh lived in South Korea, she was a regular cast member of tvN's Rainbow Kindergarten, a variety show that aired until 2011. [5] She also appeared in the TV shows Jesse's Play Kitchen and My Heart's Crayon. [6] Hyein debuted as a member of the children's music group U.SSO Girl alongside Rora of Babymonster in November 2017 under the stage name U.Jeong, [7] [8] before departing from the group one year later. [9] In December 2020, she joined the music group and YouTube collective Play With Me Club formed by PocketTV, and graduated from the group on May 3, 2021. [10] Vietnamese-Australian Hanni Pham began performing in Melbourne as a member of the Aemina Dance Crew who covered choreographies of K-pop groups. [11]
Preparations for a new girl group in collaboration between Hybe and Source Music began as early as 2019 [12] [13] where Min Hee-jin was to be the creative director, after joining as the chief brand officer that same year. Min was widely recognized for her art direction as visual director at SM Entertainment. [14] At the time of Min joining in 2019, it was revealed she would be the creative lead in multiple girl groups, excluding Big Hit, while a separate label would also be established later where she would be a producer. [15] Global auditions took place between September and October 2019. [13] [16] Minji, a Source Music trainee, was featured in the promotional videos for these auditions. Various other auditions were held, and it was later revealed Hanni was the only trainee from the Plus Global Auditions to join NewJeans. Other members came from various backgrounds: Danielle was a former YG Entertainment trainee, passing a separate Source Music audition in July 2020 while Haerin was a trainee at another agency and was street cast at the end of 2019, officially joining Source in early 2020. [17] Hanni and Minji made a guest appearance in BTS's 2021 music video for "Permission to Dance". [18] All of the members then transferred to ADOR at the end of 2021. [19]
In late 2021, it was announced that the project moved to Hybe's newly established independent label ADOR, after Min was appointed the label's CEO. [20] A second round of global auditions were held between December 2021 and January 2022, [21] and the group's line-up was finalized in March 2022. [22] [23] Dubbed "Min Hee-jin's Girl Group" by several media outlets, [22] [24] the group was originally scheduled to launch in 2021 but was later postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [13]
On July 1, 2022, ADOR teased the launch of their new girl group by posting three animated videos of the numbers "22", "7" and "22", fuelling speculation that content would be released on July 22. [25] That day, NewJeans surprise-released the music video for their debut single, "Attention", without any prior promotion or information on the group's lineup. [26] Billboard described the move as "risky-but-ultimately invigorating", crediting its success to "an emphasis on the music before anything else". [1] The video was followed by the announcement of their upcoming self-titled debut extended play, which would contain four songs including two additional singles. [9]
NewJeans released their second single, "Hype Boy", on July 23, 2022, along with a clip revealing the members' names and four music videos specific to their perspectives. [27] "Hype Boy" reached number two on the South Korean Circle Digital Chart, [28] while it became the longest-running song on the Billboard Global 200 by a K-pop female act, [29] charting for 42 weeks. [30] A music video for their b-side "Hurt" was released two days later. [27] Pre-orders for the EP surpassed 444,000 copies in three days. [31] NewJeans released their debut EP for download and streaming on August 1, 2022, alongside its third single, "Cookie". [32] Pitchfork described New Jeans as a plush and stylish collection of '90s and '00s-indebted R&B. [33] "Cookie" was criticized by some reviewers, who thought the lyrics contained a sexual innuendo. [34] ADOR denied the accusation and stated that the lyrics refer to "the paired idea of burning CDs and baking cookies, which share the same conceptual verb in Korean". [35] The physical version of the EP was released on August 8 and sold over one million copies, becoming the best selling debut album by a K-pop female act in South Korea and the only debut album to achieve this since Circle Chart's establishment in 2011. [36] The group made their broadcast debut on Mnet's M Countdown on August 4, performing all three singles. [37] In October 2022, they held their first live performances overseas, appearing at KCON in Saudi Arabia and Japan. [38] At the end of the year, they won rookie awards at the Melon Music Awards, the Golden Disc Awards, the Korean Music Awards, the Seoul Music Awards, the Asia Artist Awards, and The Fact Music Awards. [39] [40]
NewJeans released "Ditto" on December 19, 2022, as the first single from their first single album, OMG . [41] "Ditto" became the longest-running number-one song on the Circle Digital Chart, topping the chart for thirteen weeks. [42] [43] It was NewJeans' first entry on both the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 82, and the UK Singles Chart, charting at number 95. [41] Later in 2023, "Ditto" won Song of the Year at the MAMA Awards, the Melon Music Awards, the Golden Disc Awards, and the Asia Artist Awards. [44] "Ditto" 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. [45] OMG was released on January 2, 2023. [41] Reviewers commended the album for its retro-style theme. [46] It debuted at number one on the Circle Album Chart, [47] which sold 700,000 copies in its first week of release. [46] It became their first album to sell over one million copies, [48] shortly before New Jeans also reached one million copies sold. [36] OMG was accompanied by a second single of the same name, which went viral on TikTok and peaked at number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100, [49] [50] and became the group's most streamed song on Spotify. [51] "OMG" won the Best Song at the 33rd Seoul Music Awards. [52]
In July 2023, NewJeans held their first sold-out fan meeting, titled Bunnies Camp, at the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul. [53] The group released their second EP, Get Up , on July 21, 2023. [54] Get Up became the group's first entry and number-one on the Billboard 200, making NewJeans the second K-pop girl group to top the chart after Blackpink. [55] The EP reached number two on the Circle Album Chart and sold 1.65 million copies in its first week of release, [56] [57] becoming NewJeans's third consecutive album to sell over one million copies. [58] It was supported by three singles: "Super Shy", "ETA", and "Cool with You". [59] All the singles entered the Billboard Hot 100, making NewJeans the first K-pop female artist to have three simultaneous entries on the chart. [55] "Super Shy" topped the Circle Digital Chart and became their best-performing track on several international charts, [60] [61] which led NewJeans to achieve their first number-one on the Billboard Emerging Artists chart. [62] To promote the EP, NewJeans held live performances in multiple countries and collaborated with global brands and celebrities. [63] In August 2023, they became the first K-pop girl group to perform at Lollapalooza with their first live performance in the United States. [64] That same month, NewJeans performed at the Summer Sonic Festival in Japan. [65]
Throughout 2023, NewJeans released five other singles. In collaboration with Coca-Cola, they released two singles: "Zero" in April and "Be Who You Are (Real Magic)", also featuring Jon Batiste, J.I.D, and Camilo, in May. [66] [67] A remix of "Zero" featuring J.I.D was released in June. [68] NewJeans recorded "Beautiful Restriction" and "Our Night Is More Beautiful Than Your Day" for the soundtracks of the streaming television series A Time Called You (2023) and My Demon (2023–2024), respectively. [69] [70] In October, the group collaborated with Riot Games to release "Gods" as the theme song for the 2023 League of Legends World Championship. [71] In December 2023, NewJeans released their first remix album, NJWMX , comprising songs from New Jeans and OMG remixed by South Korean producers 250 and FRNK. [72] At the end of the year, they became the first K-pop girl group to perform on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve . [73]
Several publications named NewJeans among the most prominent music acts of 2023, citing their commercial success and influence in the music, advertising, and fashion industries. [74] [75] [76] [77] They sold 4.39 million album copies, the most-ever for a K-pop female artist in a single year, [78] and broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest K-pop act to reach one billion streams on Spotify. [79] The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) ranked NewJeans at number eight on their list of the Global Recording Artist of the Year, making them the second highest-ranked female artist of 2023. [80] Along with Lim Young-woong, the group topped Gallup Korea's Singer of the Year poll. [81] At the MAMA Awards, NewJeans became the first girl group in twelve years to win Artist of the Year and the third girl group in history to receive the award, following 2NE1 in 2010 and Girls' Generation in 2011. [82] After also winning Artist of the Year at the Melon Music Awards, they became the first female artist to win both awards in the same year. [83] At the Billboard Women in Music, they became the first K-pop group to win Group of the Year. [84] NewJeans became the first foreign artist in history to win the Excellent Work Award and be nominated for the Grand Prix with "Ditto" at the Japan Record Awards. [85]
In March 2024, NewJeans announced they would release two singles in May and June. [86] "How Sweet" was released on May 24, along with the B-side track "Bubble Gum". [note 1] "Supernatural" was released on June 21, along with the B-side track "Right Now". The release of "Supernatural" and "Right Now" marked the group's official Japanese debut, and after its release they began their first cycle of promotional activities in Japan; [note 2] including a fan meeting, titled Bunnies Camp 2024 Tokyo Dome, at the Tokyo Dome on June 26–27. [86] It was also announced that NewJeans had plans to release an album in the second half of 2024, [86] however the album plans have since been halted. [87] [88]
Beginning in April 2024, Hybe Corporation and NewJeans' executive producer Min Hee-jin were engaged in a labor dispute, which resulted in Min's dismissal as the CEO of ADOR by Hybe's board members on August 27. [89] NewJeans members publicly expressed their support for Min throughout the dispute, [90] [91] which includes hosting a surprise YouTube livestream on September 11 where they reiterated their support for Min and Min's importance to their group identity. They also further detailed the alleged issues with Hybe's management, including workplace harassment, inaction, leaked private informations, and deletion of their YouTube content. [92] [93] At the end of the broadcast, NewJeans gave Hybe chairman Bang Si-Hyuk an ultimatum to reinstate Min as CEO by September 25. [94] Writing for The New York Times , Jon Caramanica noted that "the NewJeans rebellion — one of the highest-profile K-pop labor disputes in recent years — feels like a true rupture. [...] It is an infrequent scenario at this level in K-pop". [95] On September 25, Hybe rejected NewJeans' ultimatum to reinstate Min based on their principle to separate management from production. However, they affirmed Min's continued role as NewJeans' producer. [96] Despite the conflict, Min vowed to move forward with NewJeans' future plans in an interview with TV Asahi, stating that she "[has] a plan to overcome these challenges". [97]
On October 15, Hanni appeared as a reference witness during the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee audit in South Korea. The testimony was part of a broader investigation into workplace culture in the entertainment industry, focusing on harassment and artist protection measures. [98] In her testimony, Hanni stated that Hybe and senior managers were undermining NewJeans, and recounted multiple incidents where she and her group was discriminated by staff. Kim Joo-young, the current CEO of ADOR, was also called to testify at the hearing and said that she would co-operate with an investigation into the incident. [99]
On November 13, it was reported by Yonhap News that NewJeans sent a letter to ADOR stating that they will terminate their exclusive contract with the company if they don't rectify all major breaches of their exclusive contract within 14 days. This action was instigated by reports that Hybe is making a decision to discard NewJeans in favor of the company's other groups, in addition to a previous rejection of the group's request to reinstate Min Hee-jin as ADOR's CEO. [100] On November 16, NewJeans won the Grand Artist Award at the inaugural Korea Grand Music Awards. [101]
On a press conference held on November 28, the five NewJeans members announced a unilateral termination of their exclusive contract with ADOR, grounded on alleged violations previously notified to the company. [102] [103] [104] They expressed their commitment to pursue activities independently from Hybe and ADOR starting November 29 [105] and vowed to "fight until the end to secure our right to the [group] name". [106] [107] ADOR refuted the alleged contract breaches, and stated that NewJeans' members are still under contract obligations. [108] Attorneys Lee Hyun-gon of Law Firm Saeol and Cho Kwang-hee of One Law Partners commented for the Korea Joongang Daily that all necessary legal steps were fulfilled by the members in order to terminate their contract, and it will be now up to ADOR to file a lawsuit to have a judge rule in their favor. [109] Attorney Kim Kyoung-nam of For You Law Office argued that a court will probably not support NewJeans' claims. [110] The Korea Management Federation (KMF) and the Korea Entertainment Producers' Association (KEPA) sided with Hybe and ADOR, arguing that a unilateral contract termination amounts to "destroying the fundamental principles of the industry", highlighting the vulnerability of entertainment companies' investments and expressing concern over setting a precedent. KEPA asked NewJeans' members to "quickly revoke their childish and irresponsible argument" and KMF to "back down on their claim". Both federations of K-pop agencies sided with management companies over artists in past disputes. [111] [112] [113]
On December 5, 2024, ADOR submitted a petition to the court to clarify the current validity of NewJeans' contract. In a following press release they warned other industry actors of getting involved in what they claim is an ongoing contract and expressed their commitment to keep engaging in talks with NewJeans' members. [114] In response, the five members reiterated in a joint press release that their contracts with ADOR ended on November 28 and accused the company of harassing staff and producers who have worked with them. [115]
On December 14, 2024, the five NewJeans' members created a new Instagram account with the handle "jeanzforfree", separate from the existing official one run by ADOR. The account rapidly gained hundreds of thousands of followers. [116] Their first post gave informations about free food and beverages they would provide to K-pop fans at the impeachment rally of South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol in Yeouido, Seoul. [117] ADOR has threatened legal actions regarding the new account. [118]
NewJeans's music spans genres such as R&B, electropop, and hip hop. [119] It is characterized by mellow beats, atmospheric synthesizers, and live vocals. [120] [121] [122] Their debut EP and first single album OMG are predominantly midtempo pop and R&B that evoke music of the 1990s and 2000s decades. [123] [124] There were comparisons to the sound of late-1990s K-pop girl groups. [122] [125] [126] Music critics also identified elements of late-1990s and mid-2000s electronic and dance styles such as UK garage, [122] [127] Baltimore club, [128] Jersey club, [129] and moombahton. [126] With their second EP Get Up, they ventured more into dance and club music with a more rhythmic production expanding on the group's UK garage-influenced past releases. [122] Meanwhile, with their "Supernatural" release, they explored new jack swing and dance-pop with 250's interpolation of "Back of My Mind", a 2009 song by Japanese singer Manami which was produced by Pharrell Williams. [130] The Hankook Ilbo aligned NewJeans' style with the "newtro" aesthetic due to the retro sensibilities; [131] the newspaper's music critic Choi Eun-soo characterized their sound as "easy listening" devoid of "explosive" EDM embellishments that had saturated the market. [125] Some critics, such as Sheldon Pearce and Joshua Minsoo Kim writing for NPR, described NewJeans's music as soft, contained, and delicate, which is a stark contrast to their contemporaries' "maximalist" and "harsh, buzzing" sounds. [122] [129] The Guardian 's Laura Snapes described their songs as "sleek and lethally hooky, yet playful and teeming with retro synths and experimental flourishes". [120] Writing in The Korea Times , scholar and cultural critic David Tizzard says that a lot of NewJeans' songs are influenced by 90s British jungle and drum and bass. In particular, their 2024 track "Right Now" is "not classic jungle or drum and bass because it's more polished and eschews the grittier samples. This is catchy: a sleek earworm. Rather than being from the LTJ Bukem wheelhouse of London, the track is closer to something from DJ Marky or the Sambass subgenre." [132]
NewJeans's music is mainly produced by South Korean singers 250 and Park Jin-su (also known as FRNK), while the members often participate in songwriting. [120] The members have talked about being inspired by film and television, in particular by "high school teen dramas" like Clueless (1995), Mean Girls (2004), and The Princess Diaries (2001). [133] [134] Executive producer Min Hee-jin selects all NewJeans's songs and is responsible for the recording process. [135] Regarding the group's debut EP, Min said she "wanted to break the tacit formula of K-pop and make an album with the music I want". [136] Min disliked "high-pitched parts, awkward raps that suddenly appear, and singing methods that feel uniform" and chose to record without guide vocals, allowing the members to develop their own singing styles. [135] [124] Pearce argued that NewJeans's frequent collaborations with certain producers brought forth a cohesive discography with distinct identity and aesthetic. [122]
NewJeans has influenced fashion and make-up trends with their style, developed by Choi Yu-mi. Having previously met Min while working with Shinee, Choi began working with Min and NewJeans in 2020, despite never having styled a girl group. [137] [138] Min stated that she wanted NewJeans's image to be "cool, chill, and sophisticated". [139] NewJeans debuted with a Y2K-inspired style that established them as "a symbol" of the Y2K fashion revival in South Korea. [140] The members wore "drastically" different outfits in the music videos to confuse fans, prompting them to rewatch the videos to identify the members. [141] For their hair and make-up, NewJeans worked with hairstylist Gi-hee and make-up artist Lee Nak-yeum, who developed a signature "natural" look for the group. [142] [143] Azrin Tan argued in Vogue Singapore that NewJeans presented a "new aesthetic", characterized by minimal soft make-up and straight black hair, that defied beauty standards in the contemporary K-pop industry with its simplicity. [144] Similarly, Jon Caramanica notes in The New York Times that "The production is sensuous and restrained [...] NewJeans deploys its contemporary reference points in service of a throwback idea." [145] Their styling contributed in shaping NewJeans's girl-next-door image, [146] deemed by Tan a "stark shift away from the usually high-octane aesthetic" of contemporary K-pop groups. [144]
NewJeans branched out and showcased a variety of concepts in the music videos released for Get Up, including cheerleading and ballet-inspired outfits. [147] [148] Since NewJeans's debut, Choi has incorporated in their style elements from several modern trends, such as gorpcore and blokecore, and designers, such as Kiko Kostadinov, Martine Rose, Marine Serre, and Hyein Seo. [137] [138] Edith Winslow of Vogue Australia has described NewJeans's fashion style as a combination of "bold pieces, contemporary designers, and the confidence to pull it all off". [149] The New York Times named them among the most stylish people of 2023. [150] In interviews, NewJeans have said they enjoy exploring different styles and expressing themselves through fashion. [151] [152] The members' personal styles have also become influential, with Julian Bartolome of Inquirer Super saying they have "established themselves as modern-teen style icons". [153] [154] All of the members have served as ambassadors for fashion and beauty brands: Hanni for Gucci, Armani Beauty, and UGG, Hyein for Louis Vuitton, Danielle for Burberry, YSL Beauty, and Celine, Minji for Chanel Korea, and Haerin for Dior. [155] [156]
In the advertising industry, NewJeans has been compared to a blue chip due to their popularity and reliability; [157] Tamar Herman, writing for NME , named them one of "the most in-demand advertising models" at the end of 2023. [74] Their popularity has been ascribed to their notable influence over various generations, in particular Generation Z, both in South Korea and overseas, prompting South Korean brands like Musinsa and Lotte Wellfood to appoint NewJeans as ambassadors to lead promotional campaigns abroad. [158] [159] NewJeans has represented Levi's, Calvin Klein, fashion store Musinsa, contact lens brand Olens, jewelry brand Stonehenge, and eyewear brand Carin. [160] [161] [162] They have served as global ambassadors for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, LG Electronics' Gram laptop, Lotte's Pepero, and Indofood's Indomie. [157] [159] [163] Over the course of their career, NewJeans has also appeared in local and international promotional campaigns by SK Telecom, promoting the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro, [164] Apple, [165] Nike, promoting Air Max, [160] 5252 by OiOi, [160] Shinhan Bank, [166] Megastudy , [166] Pinkfong, [167] McDonald's Korea, [168] Hyundai Department Store, [169] Lotte, [170] Kao, [171] and Shibuya109. [172]
NewJeans have also worked with governmental and cultural institutions to promote Korean culture and tourism. In February 2023, NewJeans became public relations ambassadors of the city of Seoul and were appointed honorary ambassadors for the Seoul Fashion Week. [173] [174] In March 2024, they were appointed ambassadors by the customs division of the Incheon International Airport. [175] In May 2024, NewJeans and the British Museum collaborated on the recording of an audio guide illustrating the Korean exhibit of the museum. [176] In July 2024, NewJeans were appointed honorary ambassadors by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and subsequently starred in a series of commercials promoting local tourism. [177] [178] NewJeans have also worked with the Korea Craft and Design Foundation to promote hanji . [179]
NewJeans has collaborated with brands to launch exclusive products and merchandise. In December 2022, the group collaborated with a dessert brand, Nudake, to open pop-up stores in Seoul that would sell themed cakes and gadgets. [180] The following month, NewJeans partnered with Musinsa and LG Electronics to release a limited edition of the Gram laptop with themed outfits exclusively available at LG Electronics' pop-up store in Seoul. [181] [182] In June 2023, they began collaborating with McDonald's for the launch of an exclusive meal consisting mainly of chicken-based items. Over the course of the year, the meal became available in South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam. [183] In August 2023, NewJeans announced a partnership with Line Friends to release various types of merchandise. [184] They have since launched collections in August 2023 and June 2024, timed with the release of Get Up and "Supernatural", respectively. [184] [185] To promote the collections, Line Friends has often opened pop-up stores in several countries, [184] including South Korea, Singapore, and the Philippines, [186] [187] and Japan. [185] In January 2024, NewJeans and Nike released a Nike By You line of customizable NewJeans-themed garments exclusively available at Nike's store on Orchard Road, Singapore. [188] In June 2024, Krafton released avatars of NewJeans as playable characters in their battle royale game PUBG. [189] Ahead of NewJeans' Japanese debut, it was revealed that their "Supernatural" and "Right Now" releases would feature conceptual and merchandise collaborations with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami and Japanese designer Hiroshi Fujiwara. [190]
Some companies have reported a notable increase in sales after collaborating with NewJeans. In February 2023, LG Electronics stated that all units of the limited edition Gram laptop sold out in six minutes. [191] After partnering with the group in 2022, Musinsa reported in March 2023 that sales in the women's fashion category doubled compared to the previous year. [192] In February 2024, Lotte stated that sales of Pepero increased by 17% in countries where NewJeans's promotional campaign was implemented. [193] In April 2024, Forbes Korea reported that the group had earned ₩30 billion in advertising in the course of a single year. [194]
In December 2022, it was announced that NewJeans and ADOR would annually donate part of the profits from the group's album sales to the Snail of Love charity to fund cochlear implant surgery and speech therapy treatment for the hearing-impaired. [195] The following year, ADOR and NewJeans joined the Snail of Love's Soul Leader club, having donated a total of over ₩99 million. [196] In February 2023, NewJeans and ADOR donated ₩200 million to the World Food Programme to help victims of the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria that month. [197] In May 2024, NewJeans donated all proceeds from their performances at seven university festivals to the Korea Scholarship Foundation. [198] In December 2024, the five members donated in their own name 100 million won, approximately $69,000, to children's charity ChildFund Korea. [199]
NewJeans has become "one of the most recognized and most influential groups in pop", according to Billboard. [77] The Times of India referred to NewJeans as a global pop icon, remarking that "they have secured a spot in the heart of pop enthusiasts around the world and became the epitome of modern pop excellence". [200] Time named them one of the Next Generation Leaders, adding that they have "already reached global milestones even faster than its more senior counterparts in the industry". [201] Music critic Jung Min-jae told NBC News that "NewJeans is everything contemporary K-pop was not, arriving fresh-faced in a seemingly unchanging industry". [202] Writing for The Korea Times , music critic Kim Do-heon attributed NewJeans's success in part to their "carefree, laid-back, and natural" sound, [203] while Tamar Herman wrote in Vogue that their music "immediately changed up the face of South Korea's pop idol scene". [123] Critics noted NewJeans's influence on junior K-pop boy groups like Riize and TWS, who adopted a similar concept and "easy listening" sound. [204] [205] Business Insider opined "NewJeans has become a force and musical paradigm shifter both within the Korean and global pop landscapes." [206] NewJeans has been featured in numerous power rankings, including Forbes 's Korea Power Celebrity 40 and 30 Under 30 – Asia (Entertainment & Sports). [207] [208]
NewJeans quickly established themselves in the fashion industry thanks to their girl-next-door image and international appeal, [146] [209] becoming "an overnight fashion favorite" according to The Business of Fashion . [146] Designers Yoon Ahn and Bach Mai have named NewJeans among the influences for their collections. [210] [211] NewJeans has been recognized for their influence and contribution to the fashion industry; they received the Korea Fashion Industry Association President's Commendation at the 2023 Korea Fashion Awards and were listed as one of the 500 most influential people in the industry by The Business of Fashion in 2023. [212] [213]
Extended plays
Television shows
Hybe Co., Ltd. is a South Korean multinational entertainment company established in 2005 by Bang Si-hyuk as Big Hit Entertainment Co., Ltd. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and music publishing house. It has multiple subsidiaries, including Big Hit Music, Belift Lab, Source Music, Pledis Entertainment, KOZ Entertainment, and ADOR, collectively known as Hybe Labels.
Min Hee-jin is a South Korean music producer, art director, and graphic designer. She is the former CEO of ADOR, a subsidiary of entertainment company Hybe Corporation, and the former executive producer of K-pop girl group NewJeans. She was formerly a creative director at SM Entertainment, where she was responsible for the branding of groups such as Girls' Generation, Shinee, f(x), Exo, and Red Velvet.
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 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.
"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.
Lee Hye-in, known mononymously as Hyein, is a South Korean singer and former child model. She began her musical career at nine years old as a member of the South Korean children's groups U.sso Girl and Play with Me Club. She later debuted as a member of South Korean girl group NewJeans, formed by ADOR in July 2022.
Phạm Ngọc Hân, known professionally as Hanni (Korean: 하니), is an Australian singer based in South Korea. In July 2022, she made her debut as a member of the South Korean girl group NewJeans, under the record label ADOR.
Danielle June Marsh, known mononymously as Danielle (Korean: 다니엘), is an Australian and South Korean singer. She began her career in the entertainment industry by making several appearances on television as a child, before debuting as a member of South Korean girl group NewJeans in 2022. The following year, Marsh ventured into acting, voicing Ariel in the Korean dub of live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid (1989).
Kang Hae-rin, known mononymously as Haerin, is a South Korean singer. She is best known as a member of the South Korean girl group NewJeans, which debuted on July 22, 2022, under the record label ADOR.
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.
"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.
NewJeans Code in Busan is a South Korean travel reality television series produced by Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Tourism Organization and distributed by SBS. Starring K-pop girl group NewJeans, the three-episode series follows the group as they visit several of Busan's landmarks over the course of a two-day trip. It was created as part of a series of Hallyu content produced to support Busan's bid to host the Expo 2030.
"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.
"New Jeans" is a song by South Korean girl group NewJeans, taken from their second extended play (EP), Get Up (2023). ADOR, an independent division of Hybe, released the track for digital download and streaming as a B-side to the single "Super Shy" on July 7, 2023.
Kim Min-ji, known mononymously as Minji, is a South Korean singer. Minji made her debut as a member of the South Korean girl group NewJeans, under the record label ADOR on July 22, 2022.
"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.
... creating their innovative sound with references to pre-millennium music.