NewJeans Are Taking Over, One Viral Music at a Time

It’s slightly previous midnight in Korea, however the members of NewJeans don’t look drained in any respect. In actual fact, the quintet of teenybopper superstars—Hyein, Danielle, Minji, Haerin, and Hanni—are all smiles for a really after-hours digital interview. Gathered in a convention room on the HYBE workplaces (the guardian firm of their label ADOR and Ok-pop teams like BTS), they’re seated side-by-side in coordinating, informal white outfits—hoodies, saggy tees, crop tops, tank tops, and cargo pants in typical Gen-Z vogue—and not using a sew of blue denim in sight.

NewJeans, whose identify was impressed by the timelessness and ubiquity of the traditional pants, debuted a yr in the past and have been successful hearts over ever since. They launched with out their label teasing their identities or band identify (which is conventional for Ok-pop acts), and arrived with the head-bobbing hit “Consideration,” adopted by their debut EP. Within the months following, their monitor “OMG” went viral, taking on TikTok For You Pages and galvanizing followers throughout to repeat their music video choreography. It’s not simply the stans (or the Bunnies, as their fandom is known as); they’ve additionally gained over music followers outdoors of Ok-pop listeners, doubtless as a consequence of their genre-bending strategy.

Their songs are catchy, sure, however deviate from the high-octane pop and hip hop-inspired sounds of their Ok-pop contemporaries. Their vocals are extra hushed however nonetheless sweetly melodic; their manufacturing carries an eclectic mixture of influences from storage to R&B to bop. Pushing boundaries was the aim from the beginning. Min Hee Jin, the CEO of NewJeans’ label ADOR, informed Billboard earlier this yr, “I wished to interrupt the stereotype that solely sure kinds of music would have the ability to succeed within the so-called mainstream business.” However even when the group’s sound is difficult to pin down, the persons are loving it. In only a yr, they’ve amassed 1.8 billion views on YouTube and broke the document for the quickest Ok-pop artist to surpass 1 billion streams on Spotify (beating out Blackpink’s Lisa and BTS’s Jung Kook).

Now, the ladies are gearing up for an additional launch with their Get Up EP this Friday, which they’ve preceded with their newest singles “NewJeans” and “Tremendous Shy.” The latter got here paired with colourful visuals and enjoyable choreography filmed in Portugal, making it ripe for a dance problem. And certain sufficient, the group has partnered with YouTube Shorts, YouTube’s short-form video platform, for the #ImSuperShy problem, inviting followers to create movies with the music and flaunt their very own tackle the choreography. Because the fan movies come pouring in, the “Tremendous Shy” music video has already landed on YouTube’s high ten record in a number of nations, together with Korea, Australia, Japan, and the U.S. It’s an enormous testomony to the music’s reputation and NewJeans’ surefire world takeover.

One yr after arriving on the scene, NewJeans are already keen to indicate one other facet of themselves with the brand new EP. “This album total actually accommodates a whole lot of totally different ideas,” Hyein says. They trace that their subsequent single “Cool With You,” which drops on July 20 at midnight KST, will present much more of their vary. And that’s not all; they’re additionally set to carry out at Lollapalooza subsequent month, turning into the primary Ok-pop woman group to take action.

As they await one other milestone, the members of NewJeans, with their interpreter, spoke to ELLE.com about their new music and the way they deal with all their success.

You guys have had a tremendous week with the discharge of “Tremendous Shy.” Are you able to inform me slightly bit in regards to the story of the music and the way it felt to lastly get it on the market on this planet?

Danielle: Nicely, “Tremendous Shy” is definitely such a catchy music, so I really feel prefer it actually will get everybody off their toes. What actually completes the entire music and the vibe is the choreography, I really feel.

And it is tremendous easy so everybody can take part and dance alongside and there is additionally a whole lot of creativity. There’s a whole lot of room for creativity and I can not wait to see everybody’s model of “Tremendous Shy.”

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What was the expertise of filming the video like?

Danielle: That was so…

Minji: Superb. Portugal, proper?

Danielle: Yeah, Portugal.

Hanni: The climate was lovely.

Hyein: The entire filming was simply crammed with laughter. We simply had a blast and loved the time. And it was really my first time visiting Portugal, so the 5 of us actually, we acquired to see and discover a whole lot of totally different lovely sceneries in other places in Portugal and we acquired to follow our choreography with the native dancers. It was a whole lot of enjoyable and I believe essentially the most memorable half was the scene with the bus. So I believe that basically stands out to me. Each time I consider the music “Tremendous Shy,” I believe I’ll be reminded of that scene.

Does anybody else have a favourite reminiscence from filming that stands proud to them?

Danielle: Really, there was a park after which the buildings and the surroundings of Portugal had been so effectively put into that scene that each time I see that I am like, gosh, the colours and every part simply make my coronary heart tingle. In order that’s one of many scenes that I actually love and I keep in mind that day as effectively. It was close to the ocean really, and I like the ocean. In order that complete vibe with the dancers, us dancing collectively, synchronizing, it was undoubtedly a second that I’ll always remember.

With the discharge of the video, you are additionally teaming up with YouTube Shorts for a extremely enjoyable ”Tremendous Shy” marketing campaign, the place you’re encouraging your followers to bop alongside or movie their very own variations of the dance. Are you able to inform me slightly bit about why you selected to do that partnership?

Haerin: So lots of people watch YouTube and truly, the 5 of us additionally watch a whole lot of YouTube as effectively. And it is usually sort of the media the place individuals found NewJeans and folks take heed to our music. So we thought this could be an ideal platform and an ideal channel to have this collaboration between Bunnies [the fanbase] and NewJeans and I am actually trying ahead to it.

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Have you ever began seeing any takes or any of the fan remixes but? How have you ever reacted to these?

Danielle: So many.

Minji: I noticed 5 women who had been dancing [to] “Tremendous Shy” sporting precisely the identical garments [from the music video]. [Gasps]

Hanni: Oh, the one I despatched on the group chat?

Minji: Yeah, it was tremendous cool. That is how the web works, how briskly.

Hanni: Principally, within the “Tremendous Shy” intro, Dani’s using on the bike and she or he comes [to] be a part of, we’re like sitting down chatting. I noticed a video on-line and it was a Ok-pop dance cowl staff in Portugal, they usually recreated that scene in the very same spot in very related garments. And I used to be like, “oh my God!” and put it straight to the group chat. We’re all like, “what that is so cool!” They regarded similar and every part.

Danielle: And seeing their reactions as effectively, it was a lot enjoyable and seeing how [the fans] work together with every part. All of us actually take pleasure in it. [The girls nod]

I like the way you talked about that you simply are also large on watching YouTube. Do you additionally attempt to be taught different artists’ choreography and issues like that?

Hanni: I believe, yeah, we watch YouTube quite a bit. Particularly relating to musical performances, like artists from abroad or a few of our singers right here who’re additionally selling their profession, we simply watch a whole lot of phases and reside performances and set lists on YouTube and we do it collectively. It is actually enjoyable to observe. It is like, really being there and having that kind of platform obtainable to us proper now, it is such an ideal factor.

Danielle: Even earlier than we follow, we would simply activate a stage like a efficiency after which we would get impressed by that, and everyone seems to be like, [flexing her muscles] “Yeah, let’s do that!”

It’s like a watch occasion. Are there any current performances that you simply beloved?

Danielle: Not way back I watched a reside efficiency of Bruno Mars and Beyoncé. Really, I watched this a very long time in the past after which I used to be loopy about that efficiency, after which I watched it after which I watched it once more not way back earlier than I went on stage. And the inspiration that gave me was big.

Hanni: I’ve one which went to my mouth right away—Becky G’s “Bathe” efficiency at Coachella this yr was…I noticed the video and I acquired goosebumps. So once we had been within the dance follow, we had been collectively, I performed it on the display for all of them and we had been all simply sitting there in awe, watching individuals like goosebumps, nostalgia—and a lot enjoyable to observe.

Talking of movies, visuals are such a giant a part of the NewJeans persona, from “OMG,” “Ditto,” all your hits together with “Tremendous Shy” and I am certain nonetheless to come back. What would you say is the significance of visuals and movies in your work?

Haerin: Expressing ourselves by music is de facto essential, but additionally I believe that visuals and the movies play a big function in presenting a cohesive story. So I believe that the visuals and the movies actually enormously improve the connection and the immersion that the followers can have with our music.

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We’re very a lot trying ahead to your new EP Get Up, which is popping out quickly. What are you able to tease about it? What can we anticipate and what was it like engaged on this new music?

Hyein: So this new EP, Get Up, that’s arising quickly has six totally different tracks. Up to now, we’ve got launched “NewJeans” and “Tremendous Shy,” two of the tracks. This album total actually accommodates a whole lot of totally different ideas. So every music will really feel very totally different. And so you are going to have a whole lot of enjoyable simply listening to the entire album. Personally, I believe there’s a whole lot of songs which might be going to really feel slightly bit totally different from what you’ve got seen from our earlier work that has come out to date. And personally, I believe that’s very true with the fourth monitor, which is “Cool with You,” it has a efficiency of NewJeans that you have not seen from us but. So I hope you will look ahead to it with a whole lot of anticipation.

I’d like to dig into the way it’s totally different out of your different releases. Was there something new that you simply guys wished to do this time round, or any sounds or totally different inventive concepts?

Minji: There’s quite a bit. So, for instance, “Tremendous Shy,” Me and Hyein, we sort of rapped, proper? So I believe it is a large problem. And within the music video, these two women [pointing to Haerin and Hanni] had blonde hair.

Hanni: It was a weave, nevertheless it was nonetheless hair.

Minji: Yeah, it suited you.

Danielle: And it is a slight spoiler for the opposite songs which might be but to come back: The choreography is de facto totally different to what we have completed earlier than.

Minji: Actually totally different.

Danielle: “Cool with You” particularly, and the entire music video itself was filmed in a really totally different means.

Minji: It is sort of like a film, proper?

Danielle: The vibe and every part. So, hope you look ahead to it.

Minji: [With her hand over her mouth] It was sort of a giant spoiler.

Danielle: What? No!

I’m certain you’ll nonetheless shock us. You’ve got all had such an unbelievable rise up to now yr. How are you taking in all of those successes and achievements, and what has it meant to you?

Hanni: It’s so surreal. Yeah, it truly is. I believe particularly it is like, oh, it is so loopy to see so many individuals take heed to our songs, not to mention dance to it and revel in it and submit about it. And it is so cool to see that it has been capable of attain a world degree, which we by no means anticipated. We’re nonetheless so grateful and nonetheless shocked on a regular basis and every part, nevertheless it’s been a lot enjoyable.

And through the course of as effectively, I really feel like lots of people neglect that there is lots of people working behind the scenes that aren’t acknowledged sufficient as they need to be as a result of we’re not the one ones doing every part. We’d by no means have the ability to do all of this with out all the assistance we get from all our workers members and all our label workers members and our CEO and our lecturers and our managers. There’s a whole lot of countless hours and energy and work and we’re simply those which might be on the entrance exhibiting everybody. So I believe with all these achievements and these loopy experiences we have been capable of expertise up to now yr, simply leads us again to how grateful we’re to everybody who’s helped us all through this complete expertise. It has been superb. So enjoyable.

You guys performing and making music collectively appears so enjoyable and collaborative. What have you ever realized from the method of working collectively and the way has your friendship helped your music?

Minji: So, as I get to spend extra time with my teammates, what I actually observed is that our teamwork is getting stronger and extra stable. I actually felt that, particularly through the preparation and the method of constructing this EP. We had some filming abroad and we had been in a brand new setting that we’re not very conversant in, however we actually took care of one another and I may actually inform that our members had been leaning on each other [leans her head on Haerin]. So it was a extremely worthwhile expertise that basically confirmed me how essential our teamwork is and the way we actually worth one another. [She reaches her arms out to her bandmates, and they grab her arms.]

This interview has been edited and condensed.