Popular culture seems inevitably to trend towards uniformity, and K-Pop, with its ever-expanding influence and highly mature industry, has not escaped this pattern. The excessive self-assertion of non-mass production homogeneity has led K-Pop to suddenly adopt the rhetoric of individuality. Its avant-garde, cutting-edge, metaverse concepts, acceptance of gender-neutral faces, and emphasis on powerful vocal performances showcasing “Girl Crush” all appear to be premeditated ideas. When all forms of “individuality” are merely unwritten assignments, the culture itself feels lackluster.
As the name “New Jeans” suggests, the band NewJeans has showcased the vibrant energy of the “new generation” since their debut. While other girl groups of the same era follow high-octane visual styles, overly sharp images, and a relentless pursuit of avant-garde concepts, NewJeans offers a completely different approach: a “quiet beauty.” Their fresh faces, the quest for natural aesthetics, and effortlessly cohesive images starkly contrast to their antecedents.
NewJeans does not insist on playing a deliberately constructed image. They present a unique aesthetic in K-Pop, one that initially seemed too ordinary compared to other girl groups with strong, charismatic attributes. However, over time, this very ordinariness has transformed into an invisible yet powerful force. They could easily be the girl next door, strolling down the street, blending into a crowd. Their songs, filled with relatable youthful dreams, have captured a vast and diverse fanbase, bridging a wide range of different circles.
In the visual effects presented in their music videos, this feeling becomes even more pronounced. It has little to do with consumerism or the idol industry; instead, it focuses on the ordinary moments of life captured through VHS tapes. From the retro, nostalgic East Asian youth of the “DITTO” era to the delicate and dreamy summer sweetness in “Bubble Gum,” the blurred DVD-quality scenes of school hallways, old-fashioned computers, and car cassette tapes effortlessly draw the viewer into a wave of nostalgia.
Composed of five members—MINJI, HANNI, DANIELLE, HAERIN, and HYEIN—NewJeans has carried the timeless summer sentiment into early autumn, presenting a unique idol girl concept with refreshing vitality that sets them apart in the wave of contemporary trends.
If Iwe were to make a comparison, NewJeans is like its name—a pair of brand-new jeans. “Brand-new” suggests a fresh and innovative expression, while “jeans” symbolizes something that withstands the test of time, appearing in fashion day after day. It’s ordinary yet never tiresome. NewJeans is striving to become such a classic.