NewJeans has achieved global recognition, with songs like How Sweet and Supernatural receiving critical acclaim and ranking on prestigious year-end lists. Their influence extends to global streaming platforms, where they are among the most-streamed K-pop artists of 2024. However, concerns over contractual issues with ADOR have raised questions about the group’s future activities.
Global Recognition of NewJeans Music
NewJeans, a girl group featuring Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein, earned consistent recognition this year for their songs. These tracks ranked in several prestigious international year-end lists.
The track How Sweet, released in May as part of a double single of the same name, recently appeared in The 25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024 by the UK-based NME. The publication described it as a “lighthearted breakup song imbued with NewJeans’ signature Y2K aesthetic.”
Additionally, How Sweet appeared in Billboard’s 25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024: Staff Picks. Billboard praised the song for its warm, carefree sound and highlighted the members’ voices. According to Billboard, their voices “grow sweeter with every listen.” Other accolades for the song include its selection in Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Songs of 2024 and PopMatters’ 15 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024.
Success of ‘Supernatural’ and Streaming Impact
NewJeans’ Japanese debut single, Supernatural, also garnered significant attention. It was named one of The New York Times’ Best Songs of 2024, standing out as the only K-pop track on the list. Beyond critical acclaim, NewJeans demonstrated remarkable performance on streaming platforms. On Spotify, the group ranked fifth among K-pop artists with the most-streamed tracks globally in 2024. Among K-pop girl groups, they achieved the highest ranking.
Their influence extended to YouTube, where How Sweet ranked seventh in Korea’s Top Trending Songs based on video views. Similarly, Apple Music Korea’s Top 100 Songs of 2024 featured 15 tracks by NewJeans, including How Sweet (3rd), ETA (8th), and Supernatural (10th).
Contract Issues and Future Risks for NewJeans
Despite their achievements, concerns regarding the group’s future emerged in Korean online communities like MLBPARK. Discussions focused on potential conflicts between NewJeans and their agency, ADOR. Some speculated that leaving ADOR could allow the group to secure better contracts with other companies, potentially with Min Heejin’s new venture. However, rumors suggested that terminating their current contract would require paying a penalty fee of approximately 600 billion KRW. This speculation led to worries that the group’s current activities might pose significant financial risks.
Major Performances Highlight Global Recognition of NewJeans
NewJeans is scheduled to perform at the 2024 Music Bank Global Festival in Japan on December 14 and on TBS’s CDTV Live! Live! Christmas Special on December 16. These appearances mark another opportunity for the group to solidify their influence in Japan while showcasing their growing global appeal.
Here’s a link to MLBPARK.
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Why are ppl not supporting Min Heejin and NewJeans? Cuz the general public’s mindset just can’t make sense of their actions. Like, the world doesn’t just solve itself by throwing a tantrum… Tbh, they’re kinda done for 🙄