The rivalry between NewJeans and IVE, 2 top 4th gen girl groups, is heated
When it comes to the current standout 4th gen Kpop groups, NewJeans is the first name that comes up. In August 2022, NewJeans made a splash with their debut, embracing the Y2K concept. Just four months into their debut, NewJeans owned the charts with two mega hits, “Hype Boy” and “Ditto,” setting the stage for international success.
In the 2023 year-end award season, NewJeans made history by being the first girl group to win “double Daesangs” at three consecutive MAMA, MMA, and AAA awards. With their peak success, NewJeans became a blueprint for many entertainment companies seeking creative inspiration for girl group concepts.
Despite debuting 10 months later, with their rapid growth, NewJeans quickly became a direct competitor to IVE in Korea. Both groups top digital charts and have nationwide popularity.
While NewJeans has mega hits like “Hype Boy” and “Ditto,” IVE has “Love Dive” and a trio of PAK hits in 2023: “Kistch – I AM,” and “Baddie.” Jang Wonyoung’s influence is also top-tier in Korea. She has set the visual standard for 4th gen female idols.
Lately, discussions on Korean online communities often revolve around the competition of these two 4th gen girl groups for the No.1 spot. The topic of “IVE copying NewJeans” is sparking mixed opinions. Some netizens list similarities between the two groups, like NewJeans releasing a song for Coca Cola and IVE releasing music for Pepsi; Danielle voicing for Disney, and Ahn Yujin also voicing for Disney.
Especially, when NewJeans experimented with releasing three title songs for their EP “Get Up” (including “New Jeans,” “Super Shy,” “Cool With You”), IVE did the same a few months later with the album “I’ve Mine” and its three title tracks “Either Way,” “Off The Record,” and “Baddie”.
Both albums performed well on the charts. Many suggest that Starship may have “taken inspiration” from Min Hee Jin’s direction for NewJeans and applied it to IVE. Even the Y2K style that IVE recently followed in their comeback is said to be “inspired” by NewJeans.
However, these pieces of evidence are controversial and subjective. Both IVE and NewJeans are among the most sought-after K-pop acts. It’s not surprising that brands approach them. Fans argue that IVE worked with Pepsi even before NewJeans’ debut, and Starship had SISTAR and Hyorin singing for Disney a decade ago. The accusation of “copying” seems baseless.
Regarding the similarity in promotion strategies, having three title tracks or adopting the Y2K style, there is no logic to conclude that IVE is following NewJeans. The specific concepts, sound, and choreography of both groups have never overlapped. Choosing one or three title tracks for an album is a decision that the company can make on its own.
Before NewJeans debuted, Y2K had become a strong global fashion trend. NewJeans is not the only “Y2K icon,” and it’s not unusual for girl groups to incorporate trends into their releases.
Korean netizens left comments:
- NewJeans isn’t the only “Y2K icon,” why does everything have to revolve around NewJeans?
- Is it considered copying to choose 2-3 title tracks for a comeback?
- Pepsi has been consistently working with Starship artists since 2018. Both Jang Wonyoung’s Pepsi campaign from 2021 to 2023 and NewJeans’s collaboration seem coincidental. Who’s imitating whom?
- But what does collaborating with Disney have to do with anything? It’s illogical to think that Starship contacted Disney because of NewJeans’ success.
- Pepsi has been working with IVE before NewJeans debuted.
- Yujin didn’t voice; it was a special cover.
- If we’re talking about this, Hyorin from Starship sang an OST for “Frozen”, too.
- NewJeans is successful but they didn’t “pave the way.”
Source: K14
