New Jeans are one of the most popular groups in k-pop right now, and it’s not a stretch to say that, with both Blackpink and BTS on hiatuses for different reasons, they’re really at the forefront of bringing the genre to international audiences. They’re part of the 5th generation of k-pop, and debuted in 2022 with five members: Minji, Danielle, Hyein, Haerin, and Hanni, the last of which is, I believe, the first Vietnamese k-pop idol, which is a very exciting milestone. We’re here again with idols being younger than me, and it’s to the point now where the entire group is, which is somewhat terrifying to be honest.

Here are my credentials: Similarly to NMIXX, I’ve both heard about New Jeans and actually know very little about them, besides the 15-second sound bites circulating the Internet. I’m looking forward to this deep dive and I’m curious about what my thoughts will be.

EP #1: New Jeans

Attention was New Jeans’ official debut, and starts off with a strong hint of nostalgia where the girls attend a rock concert. From this opener, I was expecting the song to have more of a rock edge, but it’s very light on the instrumentation, mainly relying on percussion until the spacey, ethereal chorus with its viral hook. Though I like both parts separately, I can’t help thinking that they feel like different songs. There’s some piece of connective tissue that it’s lacking, but I’m not sure exactly what it should be. The hook will be stuck in my head for days to come, I’m sure, though.

Hype Boy leans in further to the early 2000’s pop, though it has more of a strong beat than Attention does. The verses and choruses also blend much more seamlessly, besides the pre-choruses, which feel somewhat out of place in what’s otherwise a very smooth song. Though it’s not my usual style, I do like this one! A little embarrassingly, I had no idea that the lyrics were “you’re my chemical hype boy”, and not “you’re mine, I can’t lie, boy”, so I’ve been mistaken for two years. Oops.

From the EP, New Jeans, I enjoyed the easygoing electro of Hurt. But here’s where I have to say—and anyone who’s read the blog before knows what’s coming—what the hell were those lyrics in Cookie? Look, I get that “sex sells” or whatever, but I don’t give a single fuck, quite frankly. These are children. Hyein was fourteen. Stop it. For anyone who doesn’t know what I’m talking about, read the lyrics for Cookie and try not to throw your phone across the room. I wasn’t really going to mention the sexualization in their earlier MVs, but with this added to it I can’t help but feel like it was very deliberate.

Single #1: Ditto

Ditto makes the choice to start with its chorus, which is unusual for a k-pop song. It feels hazy and light in a very intentional way, and the filmography through phones really adds to this. Though the beat itself isn’t that different from Hype Boy and Attention’s, it was catchy in an interestingly understated way that reminded me of iKon’s classic Love Scenario, and I found myself really enjoying it. Something that I do really like about this music video is the great job it does with storytelling and suspense (I watched both “Side A” and “Side B”); I was genuinely riveted, and the reveal got me all in my feelings. So, all respect to the filmmaker there.

Single #2: OMG

OMG has one of the wildest MV intros I’ve ever seen, taking place at a mental hospital, which is…a choice, certainly. The dissonance between the setting and filming and what’s quite an upbeat, solidly poppy song creates this honestly terrifying feeling. I have conflicting feelings about the choices made here, as the video comes dangerously close to turning mental illness into an aesthetic. In terms of the song though, my favorite part is actually the “they keep asking me, ‘who is he’” hook, which I wish was used more, since the chorus and verses seem to be having that issue again where they don’t flow together.

EP #2: Get Up

Super Shy may be New Jeans’ biggest hit yet, having reached almost 200 Million views in under a year, which seems to be completely by design. Not only is the chorus the earworm of earworms, but the song is almost entirely in English, the dance is tailor-made forTikTok, and the hook is around 80% of the song. And despite knowing all of that intellectually, I still like it. The power of nostalgia, I suppose. And the power of my very neurodivergent brain never being able to let a catch phrase go.

ETA was the center of some controversy earlier this year, which I won’t be going into here, but I admit that’s coloring how I look at this a bit. But onto the song. I think this is my favorite of their titles so far, interpolating some brassy electro and a faster-paced beat that doesn’t sacrifice their core sound, and the way this is shot on a phone is incredibly creative, I’ll give them credit for it. I also like that the lyrics aren’t about a crush, but about warning your friend that their partner’s no good, which is a classic pop thing that k-pop doesn’t lean into enough, in my opinion.

From the EP, Get Up, I enjoyed the moody sound and soothing vocals of Cool With You and the video-game sound of ASAP.

Single #3: How Sweet

Bubble Gum is a prerelease, and initially seems like it’ll be more on the ballady side with its opening strings, but then immediately disproves that notion as a sunnier beat comes in. It’s somehow even more ethereal than their first releases, and though it’s pretty, it doesn’t really have an identity of its own. It’s not a bad song, but it doesn’t capture me the way their others did.

How Sweet just came out this morning, at time of writing, and follows the New Jeans template to a T: breezy, ethereal, and minimalistic. Accompanied by a handclap-led beat and some impressive aerial photography, the girls’ vocals are at some of their best. Overall, I’d say the song feels comfortable, both for better and for worse. It’s easy to listen to, as all of their songs are, but it’s not very distinctive either, and there’s nothing that really holds my attention.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this. I feel like I know much more about New Jeans now, and can accurately form an opinion on them rather than before where I was just taking shots in the dark. I gained an appreciation for their acting skills and music videos and their senses of humor, from watching their interviews with Vogue and their special to mark their first year together. I have to say, this is the first time that a review where I didn’t adore the band still made me feel just good in general, so, kudos, ladies. Hats off.

My Top 5 songs were Ditto, Super Shy, ETA, Cool With You, and ASAP, with Hurt as an honorable mention. New Jeans gets an 8.25 out of 10 from me. The storytelling in their music videos is distinctive, and I found myself impressed with their acting skills too. Their songs are pretty solid, which I admit isn’t what I was expecting. I don’t think that they’re the best k-pop group to ever grace a stage or anything, but they’re very clearly talented and I can see why so many people like them. I’m never going to be upset with a popular group that introduces more fans to the genre I love so much.

That being said, my appreciation has limits, and while I understand that they have a signature sound that they excel at, it’s just not a sound I really connect with deeply, which is totally alright. I’m fine with letting New Jeans pass through my ears once in a while, but I won’t be going out of my way to listen to them. I just hope they find some better management, and I don’t have to hit anybody with a tennis racket for sexualizing children—again.

Edit (11.8.24): New Jeans has officially left their company and I am so, so excited for what they do next.

I’ll see you next time while we begin a magnum opus of a deep dive. Tschüss!