The NewJeans whirlwind continues in 2023! Sweeping the music charts! Review and analysis of new songs 'Ditto' and 'OMG' - K-POP in the Name of Youth Vol. 124 -

NewJeans is continuing its legendary rapid advance.
How far will this tremendous popularity go?

January 2, 2023, 6:00 PM.
The music video for NewJeans' 1st single 'OMG' was released.
The mysteries hidden in that music video are now the subject of various theories buzzing on social media.

Also, 'Ditto,' the pre-release track from 'OMG,' took 1st place on the weekly charts of MelOn, Genie, and Bugs! immediately after its release. They have now secured a 1-2 finish on the music charts with the two songs 'OMG' and 'Ditto'.

Truly a legendary rapid advance. Their momentum exceeds that of top girl groups like IVE and LE SSERAFIM.

Today, I want to feature the 'now' of NewJeans.

NewJeans, a girl group produced by one of the K-POP industry's most capable producers, Min Hee-jin, recorded a massive hit upon the release of their debut album 'New Jeans' and quickly became an artist of global attention.

Click here for the article following their debut! ↓

First, let's trace their journey starting from one month ago, when the run-up to this comeback legend began.

[November 2022]

On November 30, the '2022 MAMA AWARDS' were held, and ADORE CEO Min Hee-jin, who led NewJeans to success with a novel concept,won the Breakout Producer award.

[December 2022]

On December 6, one of their debut songs,'Hype boy' reached 79th globally and stayed on the Billboard charts for 18 consecutive weeks immediately after debut.

Also, on the same day,they surpassed 1 million Spotify followers.This is the highest number of Spotify followers for a group that debuted in 2022.

On December 10, one of NewJeans' debut songs,'Cookie' was selected for the 'Best Songs of 2022' list by The New York Times in the US. Out of the 70 songs selected for the list, 'Cookie' was the only K-POP number!

On December 13, they won the Rookie of the Year and Performance of the Year awards at the '2022 Asia Artist Awards.' Combined with the '2022 THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS (TMA)' and 'MMA2022 (MelOn Music Awards),' that's a triple crown for Rookie of the Year!

On December 13, 'Hype boy' was selected for Time magazine's 'The Best K-Pop Albums of 2022' in the US.Time magazine praised it, saying, "The beat and accompaniment of 'Hype boy' are soft, but the soaring vocals in the chorus promote serotonin secretion."

On December 15, NewJeans' debut song 'Hype boy' ranked 85th on the '100 Best Songs of 2022' selected by the American public radio station NPR Music.The only K-POP artists to make this list were LE SSERAFIM and NewJeans.

On December 19 at 6:00 PM, they announced 'Ditto,' a track from the new single 'OMG'!

NewJeans 'Ditto' Official MV (side A)

NewJeans 'Ditto' Official MV (side B)

This music video, released in two parts, side A and side B, involved director Shin Woo-seok of DOLPHINERS FILMS. It is filled with film-like intrigue due to the three-dimensional direction where the perspectives of NewJeans and Bunnies (NewJeans fans) overlap and intertwine. Additionally, member MINJI participated in the songwriting.

Director Shin Woo-seok spoke in an interview about the reason for incorporating the perspectives of NewJeans and Bunnies (NewJeans fans).

Also, the whispering humming at the beginning, 'Woo woo woo woo ooh ♪,' is sung by the maknae (youngest member) Hyein, born in 2008. It has become a poetic, poignant, and iconic part.

As soon as NewJeans' pre-release track 'Ditto' was released, it swept to 1st place on real-time music charts in South Korea such as MelOn, Bugs!, and Genie, and also updated its highest position in Japan, reaching 9th on the Spotify JAPAN daily chart.

Furthermore, 'Ditto' reached 1st place on the iTunes 'Top Songs' chart in 7 countries and regions around the world, including the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, and on December 28, it was a massive global hit, reaching 17th on the 'Global' US Billboard chart!

On December 28, they made their first performance on a Japanese TV program, appearing live on 'Announcement! The Songs We Listened to Most This Year - Annual Music Awards 2022 -' and performed their debut song 'Attention'!

[2023]

And then, on January 2, 2023, at 6:00 PM, they released their 1st single, 'OMG'!

The music video for the title track of the same name, 'OMG,' became a hot topic as soon as it was released!
NewJeans 'OMG' Official MV

'OMG' is a song that was conceived during the production of their debut album, and member HANNI participated in writing the lyrics.

The music video begins with a monologue from a young girl. Member Hanni starts with a quirky monologue: 'At first, I didn't know who I was or who you were. But then, I finally figured it out. I was an iPhone. I exist for you. I will come running wherever you are when you call, I will show you what you want to see, I will speak for you, and I will sing songs for you. Who I am doesn't matter anymore.'

And for some reason, the NewJeans members are in a psychiatric ward. As patients.

Various speculations and theories are being shared on social media, but I thought this person's analysis was the most insightful. *It also includes a reference article, making it quite persuasive.

However, theories are just theories, so I think it's best to let your imagination run wild and find your own way to enjoy it.

I hope you will watch the music video repeatedly—where the five members are in a psychiatric ward, and dreams, reality, and fantasy seem to intermingle—and let your imagination expand.

As an aside, I posted a short story two years ago that was similar to the setting and worldview of this music video, so please feel free to read it if you'd like♪

Returning to the music video, perhaps the reason Min Hee-jin chose a psychiatric ward as the setting was to convey that the world surrounding NewJeans and their relationship with their fans is fraught with danger, that it is not eternal, but extremely fragile and delicate, and that they are living within that—so please treat it with care.

I look forward to seeing what Min Hee-jin and NewJeans will express and propose in this world each time.

Right now, the era is completely on their side.

Let's watch together to see how NewJeans and the world synchronize!