With Blackpink and Twice becoming household names, 2022 has become one of the prime years for girl groups. With the simultaneous debut of brand new girl groups like Le SSerafim, Lapillus, Nmixx, and Kep1er these newly debuted girl groups are successfully making their marks. In an industry where everything moves faster than the speed of light, it takes grit and bravery to stay relevant. This is where ADOR and HYBE Labels' newest girl group, NewJeans thrive!
Introducing sounds and concepts that previous groups had never done before, such as their girl crush, sci-fi and dark visuals, NewJeans is something everyone should look out for. Who is Newjeans, and how are they redefining the conventions of the K-pop industry? Here's everything you need to know.
Introducing Newjeans
NEWJEANS (뉴진스) is a 5-member girl group under ADOR and HYBE Labels. The members consist of Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein. They officially debuted on August 1, 2022.
From channeling their sleek dark-colored hair to rocking denim flared jeans, basketball jerseys, pleated skirts, and not to mention their own album packaged in a trendy shoulder bag, if you're ordering visuals then this quintet will serve it to you.
ICYMO, NewJeans' debut single, charted on Spotify Us, making the new girl group the first Korean group to do so. In less than a month of their debut, they have garnered 500,000 pre-orders for their self-titled first EP. Not only that, just two weeks after their debut of their lead single, the group achieved a "Real Time All-Kill" or RAK, which is awarded when a song secures the top spot in all the music charts in Korea.
The music is like a brand new jeans that fit
ADOR CEO, Min Hee-Jin explains the meaning behind the group's unique name. Just like a pair of jeans, Newjeans aspires to become versatile and timeless and she couldn't have said it better! Their music is indeed like a newly-purchased pair of jeans–one that you've never worn before, but one you're sure that it will withstand the test of time with it's versatility.
NewJeans kickstarts their career with mellow and R&B-inclined track, Attention that simply took everyone's Attention with the retro and nostalgic visuals in its accompanying video. Many k-pop fans were surprised that they debuted with a less upbeat track but they came through and now their claiming the top spot on the charts.
Speaking of versatile, these girls are not just serving looks but also showcasing range. Within a week prior to their official debut, they were able to complete their four-track discography. Following Attention, they released ear candy, Hype Boy, a more slow and dreamy love song, Hurt and finally, the hip hop beat, Cookie.
NewJeans is Marketing Genius
One factor that affects a K-pop fans preference apart from the genre of music is how a group establishes their identity in the music industry. Trends are very cyclical and at the moment, a reformulation of the 2000's trends could be observed, especially in the younger demographic's fashion. Newjeans is smart enough to brand themselves as inspired by recurring trends. Apart from making a statement with their wardrobe, the EP's concept is very reminiscent of the 2000's magazine's layouts. What's even more unique is apart from the typical rectangular outer box, one of the versions of their EP is secured in a functional mini bag which fans could incorporate in their outfits.
Despite avoiding the standard elements of a k-pop song, including rap bridges and a heavily-produced melody, Newjeans' music resonated with Kpop fans as seen with the way they steadily crawled their way up to the charts. All of that they've done within a month of their progressive career. Now that they've introduced an innovated girl group formula to the audience, people are anticipating what they have in store for the future. It's safe to say that NewJeans has everyone's attention.
