Experts selected 2022’s Best Rookie of the Year: New Jeans, IVE, and LE SSERAFIM are the Top 3
Best Rookies of the Year 2022 are dominated by girl groups.
The hottest topic of discussion in the K-pop industry in 2022 is by far the ‘Rookie Idol Battle’. Groups with outstanding skills and charm debuted one after another, not only announcing a perfect generational change, but also opening the era of 4th gen idols in earnest. Then, who is the best rookie of the year selected by music industry experts?
By the end of 2022, News1 recently conducted a survey on ‘Best Rookie of 2022’ targeting pop music experts. A total of 33 experts from music production companies participated in this survey, and 2 groups (individuals) were selected per person. In particular, this year, there is a large number of outstanding rookies, making the competition more fierce than ever.
As a result of the survey on December 17th, music industry officials picked New Jeans, which has gone viral since their debut as ‘Min Hee Jin’s girl group’, as the best rookie of the year. They received a total of 29 votes.
HYBE’s label ADOR (All Doors One Room) launched its first girl group, New Jeans, in August. True to their aspiration to “become an icon of the times like ‘Jeans’ that you can find every day and never get tired of wearing,” New Jeans has unconventional marketing that doesn’t follow the methods of existing idol groups, and a unique album featuring three title tracks. Their new strategy drew attention. Thanks to this, ‘Attention’ and ‘Hype Boy’ took first and second place on music charts. New Jeans also sold 310,000 albums in the first week of release.
Regarding the selection of New Jeans as the best rookie, experts said, “The planning ability that is different from the existing method was excellent”, “They are uniquely imprinted on the public by pulling away from the conceptual image that the existing groups have been pursuing”, “Y2K sensibility is loved by people in their 10s and 20s”, “As a new group without re-debut members, their songs stand out more than others”, “The group has been sensational since their debut and created a syndrome with their unique team colors and music.”
Starship Entertainment’s girl group IVE, who set a record of ‘three consecutive hits’ this year, also received 21 votes and established themselves as a ‘hot rookie’. They made their debut with the release of their first single “ELEVEN” in December of last year, achieving 150,000 copies in the first week. IVE took home 13 music show wins with their debut song. Their second single, “Love Dive,” released in April, sold over 1 million copies in the shortest period of time among girl groups ever, and topped music charts as well as getting 10 music show wins. IVE’s third single ‘After LIKE’ released in August also broke through 1.11 million copies and won 13 No.1 trophies, truly proving the “IVE craze”.
Regarding IVE, experts say, “With their unique concept and storytelling, IVE best captures the message that today’s popular culture wants to say”, “IVE released a hit song that everyone can sing along to at the same time as their debut”, “From their debut single, not only has IVE succeed in back-to-back hits, but they have also shown impressive results in music, albums, and global recognition”, “IVE is the MZ generation’s trend icon”, and “They are the winner of the new girl group war”.
LE SSERAFIM followed with 10 votes. LE SSERAFIM, under HYBE’s sub label Source Music, debuted in May and received good responses with their debut song ‘FEARLESS’ and the comeback song ‘ANTIFRAGILE’ released in October. ‘FEARLESS’ and ‘ANTIFRAGILE’ each got 4 wins on music shows.
Experts said of LE SSERAFIM, “A group that has definitely earned both buzzworthiness and public awareness through each member’s narrative and high-intensity choreography,” “Their ambition-filled and confident concept songs are attractive,” and “Although a member left at the same time as their debut, LE SSERAFIM is a case that turned a crisis into an opportunity with the right storytelling and lyrics,” “Despite controversies, LE SSERAFIM has the potential to make two hits in a row.”
In addition, girl group NMIXX, boy group ATBO, and TEMPEST received one vote each and were named ‘Rookie of the Year’.
Source: Daum.
