In an exclusive interview with NHK Special Documentary ‘Songs Resonating Around the World ~ The New Era of Korean-Japanese Pop (POPS),’ aired on the 7th, Min Hee-jin stated, “I wanted to showcase styles that were not shown in the existing mainstream.”
Emphasizing the importance of personal taste and sincerity, Min stated, “Even though the sincerity that puts everything into it for others and oneself, which is an ‘intangible value,’ may not be visible, people can feel it.”
In the vast commercial market that leans towards populism, hit formulas or formats are easily revived or imitated. The thought behind Min’s strategy is to break away from the standardized mainstream and challenge established styles.
A notable aspect is the emergence of the concept of ‘正反合’ (Zheng Fan He), which gained attention during Min’s appearance on the TVN show ‘You Quiz on the Block‘ at the end of 2021. It is a logical representation of Hegel’s dialectics, where contradictions or oppositions are fundamental principles explaining the movement of things. According to Hegel, when the conflict between ‘正’ (positive) and ‘反’ (negative) occurs, it transcends into a ‘合’ (synthesis). This concept, Min believes, is applicable in the world of K-pop, and it seems to have been forecasted through the journey of NewJeans.
A key element is the genuine charm of the NewJeans members, and in the documentary, Min is seen giving autonomy to Hanni, a member recording ‘Cool with You,’ saying, “Try to make it feel like you.” Min explained, “I wanted them to be more fitting for their age rather than appearing like they’re driven by business. I hoped for a relaxed and cheerful appearance.”
Especially during the documentary, as the representative song ‘DITO’ by NewJeans played, Min emphasized, “People, especially when they are young, have their own treasure chest.” He expressed his desire to create content that stimulates curiosity and presents a variety of interesting, non-conventional, and good things through NewJeans.
Min’s strategic production brought NewJeans into the spotlight immediately upon their debut in July 2022. From member composition to song collection, album production, promotion, and all processes before album planning and production, Min took the lead. NewJeans focused on the essence of music, even releasing their music video without special teaser content at the time of debut.
Their second EP, ‘Get Up,’ released in July of the following year, topped the U.S. Billboard main album chart ‘Billboard 200,’ and three songs from the album simultaneously entered the main singles chart ‘Hot 100.’ They also achieved a milestone by winning the ‘2023 Billboard Music Awards’ (BBMAs) in the K-pop artist category within the shortest period (1 year and 4 months) after debut.
Min, who played a significant role in NewJeans’ success, was recognized as the ‘Woman who Influenced the Global Entertainment Industry’ by the 2022 U.S. Variety. She was also selected as one of the ‘2023 Billboard Women in Music.’ Additionally, she received the President’s Commendation in the overseas contribution category at the ‘2023 Korea Content Awards’ and was honored in the mass arts category at the ’72nd Seoul Metropolitan Culture Awards.’ On the 6th, she also received the Producer Award at the ’38th Golden Disc Awards.’ In her acceptance speech at the ‘Golden Disc Awards,’ Min expressed her gratitude to the fans, known as ‘Bunnies,’ and hinted at NewJeans’ new challenges and adventures in 2024, urging high expectations.
