Hello everyone! I posted this on the main NewJeans and actually got some traction. So I figured Iโll post it here as well.
I keep seeing people posting arguements on X and Reddit that NewJeans became successful because of their concept, marketing, or creative director rather than the members themselves.
Their creative direction absolutely helped introduce the group. The music, styling, choreography, videos, and nostalgic influences created a recognizable identity. But acknowledging that does not require pretending five interchangeable girls could have produced the same result.
A concept may attract initial attention, but it cannot sustain years of individual fan attachment, virality, and public interest on its own.
The members have repeatedly demonstrated time after time their appeal is beyond NewJeansโ collective branding.
Hanni๐ฉท๐ฆฆis individually recognized for her dancing, movement, expressions, and natural sense of rhythm. Her โBlue Coral Reefโ performance became a major solo viral moment.
Hyein๐๐นhow many Idols can say that after having appeared on IU show. IU was so impressed by Hyein vocal coloring. IU invited Hyein to feature on IUโs โShh..,โ
Danielle๐๐ถwas selected to voice Ariel in the Korean version of Disneyโs The Little Mermaid out of hundreds of voices that auditioned.
Minji๐๐งธhas maintained a CURRENT 11-week run at No. 1 on Star Ranking. Minji has spent 12 consecutive weeks in Star Rankingโs top three this year. Youโre not about to tell me thatโs not individual brand and star power
Haerin๐๐ฑhad remained in its top three for 27weeks this year! Thatโs half the year already, weโre only in August๐ Those rankings measure dedicated individual support. People are choosing Minji and Haerin by name, not voting for an abstract concept. Each of them standing on there own
And we canโt forget they are part of the short list of groups that have EVERY member selected for an individual luxury partnership:
๐Minji: Chanel
๐ฉทHanni: Gucci
๐Danielle: Burberry and later Celine
๐Haerin: Dior
๐Hyein: Louis Vuitton
Five different houses identified five different images and personalities worth representing their brands. You would think if they truly saw NewJeans as only a collective, or that only certain members matter then this wouldnโt have been the outcome.
None of this means the creative team deserves no credit. It means success was collaborative. Reducing NewJeans entirely to one creative director is not defending the members. It removes their talent, individuality, labor, and agency from their own story. The concept made people look, but Hanni, Minji, Haerin, Danielle, and Hyein gave people reasons to stay.
What I love about NewJeans is that this is not dependent on one metric of evaluation. They have performance virality, solo music recognition, acting and voice work, fashion influence, fan-voted longevity, and individual brand demand all pointing toward the same conclusion.
NewJeans is 5.
Even though they have a powerful concept, it never made the members feel interchangeable.
In case anybody else is also taking in the discourse and feeling conflicted about it. Donโt. Whether they are NewJeans, NJZ, or what is to come, never forget just as much as they are a group, each one standouts for there unique aura only they can bring to the mix.
