Top fourth-generation girl group NewJeans has made headlines since their surprise debut in July 2022, becoming overnight sensations and global “it girls.”
At the creative helm behind the supergroup is longtime K-Pop art director and ADOR‘s CEO, Min Hee Jin.
(From left:) NewJeans’ Minji, Hyein, Hanni, Danielle, and Minji | @NewJeans_ADOR/Twitter
Min Hee Jin recently spoke with NHK about the group’s success, the strategy behind their promotions, what sets them apart from “conventional K-Pop,” and more in a rare interview.
In the interview, Min Hee Jin opened up about what sets NewJeans apart from “conventional K-Pop” and how she hopes to break the “stereotypes surrounding the idol industry” through how the group is managed.
Min Hee Jin | NHK MUSIC/YouTube
Min Hee Jin believes what sets the group apart is their “naturalness.” Like most K-Pop groups, NewJeans signed the standard seven-year contract, which the ADOR CEO likened to a high school and college experience.
She told the members before their debut that working with her would be like “studying together,” and the ADOR staff would act as “good teachers.”
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She confessed that she doesn’t like the term “idol” and feels it’s become more like a “job title” and less like its intended meaning.
While she cultivated an environment that encouraged the members to be “natural,” she acknowledged that the naturalness they were looking for couldn’t be orchestrated, but instead comes from how NewJeans spends their time, practices, and engages in their activities.
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She concluded that maintaining their youthfulness in their unconventional career was important to the company, and she wants to see the group to be “as carefree and upbeat as possible.”
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Check out the strategy behind NewJeans’ debut in the article below!
NewJeans’ Surprise Debut Wasn’t Always The Plan, According To ADOR’s CEO Min Hee Jin
