NewJeans is expected to reach international stardom with unique music color and high-flying digital achievements.
NewJeans is HYBE’s second girl group project that took the K-pop world by storm with a sudden drop of a 5-minute M/V in the summer of 2022. The rookie group successfully left a musical and visual impression that made fans eager for their next release.
In a K-pop scene oversaturated with the girl crush concept, NewJeans is a breath of fresh air in conveying the Y2K spirit. Under the direction of Min Hee Jin, NewJeans perfectly captures the spirit of the era while the concept itself is not too difficult to embody as the members were born in the early 2000s.
The “explosive” debut of a “monster rookie”
“Attention” is the first work that attracted the public attention. In less than two weeks, the group released 3 singles that formed an EP consisting of 4 debut songs, all of which were massive hits. The simple mix of electropop and hip-hop carrying the Y2K energy brought a refreshing and modern feel with catchy and addicting melodies. The group’s digital achievement ranked in the top in less than one month of debut.
In general, NewJeans and IVE are equally talented groups, with both competing for an edge on the global market. After 5 months of debut, NewJeans reached 17.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, coming in as the one of the top rookie groups.
In Korea, NewJeans achieved national coverage when “Attention” and “Hybe Boy” alternately took the first spot in #1 Melon chart for many consecutive days. They also recorded Real-time All Kill (#1 of all digital charts simultaneously.)
NewJeans recently returned with “OMG,” affirming their unique colors and distinct artistic thinking in a meaningful M/V. The rookie group took the three top places with “Ditto,” “OMG” and “Hybe Boy” on the latest weekly Melon chart. They are also reported to be the first rookie and the sixth artist in history to ever take three leading positions on the Korean charts.
“Ditto” is the living proof of NewJeans’ success. After 15 hours of release, the track ranked first in all Korean charts and allowed them to be the fastest girl group to achieve RAK in history and their first Perfect All Kill (PAK) after 6 days as the song to receive PAK the fastest in 2022.
NewJeans makes themselves known as one of the fastest girl group to ever receive PAK in K-pop history after 146 days, with “Ditto” bringing the girls to the “Billboard Hot 100” as the 96th artist. They are also the fastest K-pop artist to have a song in the Hot 100 after 5 months of debut.
Min Hee Jin’s appropriate orientation, the “mastermind” behind top SM groups
To make a statement about NewJeans, Min Hee Jin said: “Once the [difference] is accepted, that’s what writes new history.” Min Hee Jin left SM after 11 years of creating iconic images and came to HYBE with a dream of creating a girl group in three years.
The name “NewJeans” is chosen as a expression of Hee Jin’s ambition to combine fashion and music. The ADOR’s CEO takes creative control of the group’s music and image through high fashion and trendy music. With Y2K as the central spirit, NewJeans is built as a trend-setting girl group.
Fortunately, Min Hee Jin’s attempt with NewJeans has been a success. The girl group gained contact with high fashion brands early on, with 3 out of 5 members the ambassadors of luxury brands. While the direction of the group is not new in K-pop, the group manages to create their own marks in the industry.
HYBE’s next “global ambition”
A project with 300-billion investment, HYBE’s ambition is clear. Some speculated that as BTS was stepping in the next chapters of their career, NewJeans was the “perfect fit” for this “global ambition.” With the current recognition and a balance between music and image, NewJeans is HYBE’s “staple” in the global market.
Another group wit global recognition is BLACKPINK. NewJeans is expected to be the next female girl group to ahieve international stardom, especially now that streaming platforms allow better connection and ensure high quality music.
