“Supernatural” by NewJeans, Saturday, September 21, 2024

It’s time to check in with NewJeans. On August 27th, Min Hee-Jin was dismissed as the CEO of NewJeans’ label ADOR, a sub-label of Hybe Corporation. The corporate intrigue has left one of Hybe’s most internationally and financially successful acts in limbo. NewJeans is like the victim of a divorce in which the custody lies legally with their father label. NewJeans, however, expressed their loyalty to Min Hee-Jin, who formed the group and managed every step in their process toward global ubiquity. But NewJeans aren’t completely helpless. As one of the biggest K-pop acts, the group has an active fanbase. On September 11, NewJeans hosted a livestream on YouTube and demanded that Min be reinstated as CEO of ADOR by September 25th. This statement by the group was believed to be responsible for Hybe’s 3% dip in value of the company’s shares. 


WE ARE BOUND TO EACH OTHER. With the turmoil at ADOR, NewJeans’ releases this year have lagged compared to the last two years. The group has released two singles, each with a B-side. The second pair of songs, “Supernatural” and “Right Now” were released on June 21 and served as the group’s debut in the Japanese music industry. The group hosted a two-day fan meeting in Tokyo on June 26-27. NewJeans also announced that they plan to release a full album by the end of the year. However, it seems that the drama surrounding the group’s former manager has overshadowed the group’s latest efforts. To make matters worse, group member Hanni talked about the environment at their label after their manager was ousted. In the live stream, the 19-year-old singer said that the group’s new manager told another member of another Hybe K-pop girl group to ignore Hanni when she greeted that member. In many ways, NewJeans is a headache for Hybe. A less popular group would be easy to pull promotion and drop. NewJeans, however, has a strong fan base despite Hybe’s attempts to replace NewJeans with ILLIT and Le Sserafim. 


IN A MOMENT, WE REUNITE. What’s the future of NewJeans? It’s hard not to think of them as princesses locked in a tower by an exploitative though mostly absent father who favors his other children. Ultimately, K-pop groups are bound by contracts. Each member signs a contract, usually for seven years and often can renew their contracts. It’s rare, though, even after seven years for the group to be able to take their act to another label because the group was established by another label. NewJeans members are nowhere near the end of their contracts. Still, it’s still uncertain whether or not Min Hee-Jin has some ownership of the group’s intellectual property and could sway the future of NewJeans. Still, some K-pop fans blame Min for inciting a coup in Hybe and using NewJeans as leverage. It’s worrisome to think about what the group may sound like without Min’s musical supervision which has made the group one of the most critically-acclaimed new K-pop acts in the last few years. Even more worrisome is NewJeans being shelved due to their label’s pettiness. Maybe the key to NewJeans’ future is their fans. K-pop fans love their groups and ultimately investors will listen to what the music listeners want. 



 Read the lyrics (Korean, Japanese, & English) on Genius.













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