NewJeans

NewJeans are a K-Pop girl group formed in Seoul, South Korea. Originally conceived in 2019 by former SM Entertainment visual director Min Hee-jin, the quartet’s membership was picked during a series of global auditions in 2020. The final five members chosen were Minji (leader), vocalists Haerin and Hyein, and vocalists / dancers Hannie, and Danielle. Initially, the group were going to be officially launched in 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on their debut. NewJeans officially launched on July 22, 2022, with the release of their debut single “Attention.” The song reached Number 1 on Billboard’s South Korea Songs chart and also charted in New Zealand, Singapore, and Vietnam. Their next track, “Hype Boy,” was released a day later and achieved similar success on the charts. The group’s debut EP, New Jeans, was released on August 1, 2022, and reached Number 1 in South Korea. It also charted in Japan and the Billboard World Music charts. On July 21, 2023, the band unveiled their second EP titled Get Up, which made its entry at the number two position on the Circle Album Chart and attained a remarkable sales figure of 1.65 million copies during its inaugural week of release. The EP was promoted through three distinct singles: "Super Shy," "ETA," and "Cool with You" with "Super Shy" managing to clinch the top spot on the Circle Digital Chart, marking NewJeans' third chart-topping single in South Korea, emerging as their most successful track across multiple international charts, after it took the Number one spot on the Billboard Emerging Artists chart. 2024 saw the release of several new singles, including "Supernatural," which contained an interpolation of part of the 2009 track "Back of My Mind" by Manami and Pharrell. The single charted all over the world, including Canada. "Right Now" was released as the B-side. NewJeans won the Grand Artist Award at the Korea Grand Music Awards in November 2023 but became embroiled in a dispute with Hybe in April 2024 after ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin was accused of attempting to take full control of the group. Min was dismissed in August, prompting public support from the members, who accused Hybe of harassment and data leaks. After Hybe refused to reinstate Min, NewJeans attempted to terminate their contracts in November, citing breaches. ADOR denied wrongdoing, and industry groups backed the company. In December, NewJeans launched a separate social media account and participated in a political rally, leading to further legal action. By February 2025, they rebranded as NJZ and announced their first performance under the new name at ComplexCon Hong Kong.