HYBE Labels new rookies, one group goes up while the other sinks down, what will their future be like?
HYBE Labels is among the top K-pop entertainment companies, housing a variety of outstanding idols, namely BTS, TXT, ENHYPEN, SEVENTEEN and fromis_9. Recently, this conglomerate has debuted two new-generation rookie groups LE SSERAFIM and NewJeans, marking another milestone where HYBE Labels joined the 4th generation race.
NewJeans
In the past few days, NewJeans are grabbing attention from netizens with a grand debut. This HYBE rookie group is formed by none other than Min Hee Jin, the former Creative Director of SM Entertainment, who has worked with f(x), SHINee, Red Velvet, as well as other artists. NewJeans promotes with 5 members, including Hanni, Minji, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein.
HYBE Labels invested 12 million USD for NewJeans’ introduction to the public. Besides, the group is equipped with 4 MVs, with each member getting their own version to show their visuals and individual talents. Moreover, one day after their debut, HYBE has already let NewJeans make their public appearance in a Chanel event and pushed for a choreography video on Studio Choom.
Despite their brand new appearance with no prior fame, NewJeans has surprisingly recorded several achievements. Specifically, their album has surpassed 440,000 preorders in terms of physical sales, while their songs are also spotting high rankings of digital music charts.
LE SSERAFIM
In stark contrast to NewJeans’ smooth-sailings, LE SSERAFIM has come across many obstacles, with Kim Garam’s bullying scandal being the most noticeable. The female idol was accused of bad conduct and disrespect of the school’s rules and regulations, as well as “physically assaulting” her schoolmate. The controversy eventually led to Kim Garam’s departure from the group and LE SSERAFIM’s damaged reputation.
What is worth mentioning is that half of the groups are already experienced idols, namely Chaewon and Sakura, who were former members of famous girl grou IZ*ONE. As of the moment, the group showed lower physical sales than NewJeans, but their digital rankings were impressive. Individual members of LE SSERAFIM are also receiving numerous offers to appear in fashion events and pictorials.
With close debut periods and the same parent company, it is predictable that LE SSERAFIM and NewJeans are pitted against each other. Nonetheless, with the added reputation of HYBE, fans believed that both groups would soon reach explosive successes. For LE SSERAFIM, in particular, the group is receiving favorable response after Kim Garam’s departure.
