TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – K-pop sensation NewJeans announced their departure from their agency, ADOR, on November 29, 2024. This follows a certification of content they sent to the label on November 13, demanding rectification of all breaches of the exclusive contracts.
“If our demands for rectification are not accepted, we will terminate our exclusive contracts (within 14 days),” NewJeans wrote on the certification, as cited by Soompi.
Despite this ongoing dispute, the all-female group is inarguably one of the most successful K-pop groups, notably among other 4th generation artists. Since their debut in 2022, this HYBE-backed group has made a huge impact on the music industry.
Let’s explore some interesting facts about NewJeans. Are you ready, Bunnies?
1. The Meaning behind ‘NewJeans’
The name NewJeans holds a clever double meaning, as reported by Koreaboo.
First, the name reflects timelessness, just like jeans, a classic piece of clothing that has been around since the 19th century and is still relevant today. Similarly, ADOR aims for NewJeans to be significant and inseparable from pop culture.
“Pop music, like clothing, is a part of culture that is inseparable from our everyday lives,” said Min Hee-Jin, the CEO and head producer of ADOR who left the agency this month, as quoted by Koreaboo.
Secondly, the name “NewJeans” can be interpreted as a play on the phrase “new genes”. This signifies the group’s freshness and readiness to usher in a new era of pop music. Such a statement is reflected in NewJeans’ debut song “Attention”, which was particularly different from mainstream K-pop songs at the time, in a good way.
2. No Teasers for Debut
The five-member group joined the 4th generation of K-pop on July 22, 2022, with their debut single, “Attention”. The song indeed drew the attention of many K-popers as the group themselves just appeared out of nowhere. Yes, there were no teasers to really tease their debut.
Despite rumors about HYBE’s new girl group, there was technically no prior official announcement of NewJeans’ debut. And the idea of this ”surprise debut” came from the group’s youngest member, Hyein.
As Koreaboo reported, Hanni, a Vietnamese member, revealed that Min Hee-Jin had asked them whether they would like a teaser. However, Hyein came up with the concept of not having a teaser for their debut, and Hee-Jin found it intriguing.
The concept is indeed unordinary but successful enough to mark their entry into the K-pop industry with a solid debut.
3. A Monster Rookie
Despite being a relatively new group, NewJeans has cemented its significance by breaking multiple records. Shortly after the announcement of their debut four-song EP, orders exceeded 444,000 copies within three days.
New Jeans also managed to clinch the Best New Artist award at the 2022 Melon Music Awards and took home the Digital Song Bosang for “Attention” at the 2023 Golden Disc Awards.
Their success continued with the release of the song “OMG”, which marked NewJeans’ debut on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.
4. Each Member is a Brand Ambassador
Did you know that all NewJeans members are ambassadors for numerous prestigious brands? This comes as no surprise given the group’s immense popularity in the industry, which has attracted a bunch of luxury brands.
As per Koreaboo, here is the list of brands for which NewJeans members are ambassadors:
Minji: Chanel
Hanni: Dior’s jewelry, fashion, and beauty divisions
Danielle: Yves Saint Laurent’s beauty division
Haerin: Gucci
Hyein: Louis Vuitton
5. MVs for Most of Their Songs
Another thing that makes NewJeans stand out is that they release music videos (MVs) for most of their songs. Their debut EP, for instance, features MVs for every track, from “Attention” to “Hurt”.
This is quite a rare sighting, especially in the K-pop industry, where it is more common for groups to only release MVs for their title tracks, while the B-side tracks are often only available in audio format. NewJeans, however, takes it to the next level by providing visual content for most, if not all, of their songs for their fans, Bunnies.
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