It’s been exactly a year since girl group NewJeans hit the K-pop scene. Upon releasing new music on Friday, NewJeans reflected on approaching their debut anniversary in a self-interview.

NewJeans released a self-interview on Friday, a day before it reached exactly a year since its sensational debut. The girl group started by releasing music videos on June 22, 2022 without any previous promotions. Nonetheless, its songs like “Attention,” “Hype boy” and “Cookie” all became megahits that still rank high on music streaming platforms after a year. The group’s motto coming into the industry was to “be like a pair of jeans that people can wear every day and never grow tired of.”

Below are translated excerpts from NewJeans’ written self-interview that have been edited for length and clarity.

Below are translated excerpts from NewJeans’ written self-interview that have been edited for length and clarity.

What makes NewJeans special

Minji: I think we’ve always tried to showcase what NewJeans stands for. We’ve been doing what we love and showing our honest sides. The thing that has made us most special is the challenges we’ve been taking on. I hope to continue doing fun things for our fans in the future.

Hanni: I think NewJeans has been able to perform so well because the members trust each other and are sincere, as well as our strong relationship with CEO Min Hee-jin and our staff. We have been striving for the best outcome while having as much fun as possible, and it shows in the final results. We are always grateful to the people who work hard for us behind the scenes.

Danielle: Our relationship with our fans is also special. We’re friends and family, and we’re very excited about the adventures we’re going to have together.

Haerin: Our love for music and our sincere relationship with the production team is what drives us. We want to be an unpredictable group so that people can’t wait to see what’s next.

Hyein: I think the special thing about NewJeans is the music. It took a lot of effort to find the best way to capture the five members’ voices. We want to make sure that our future releases are enjoyable to the ear for everyone.

Wonderful moments

Hanni: There are so many moments in the future that I dream about and so many things that I want to do. I get excited just thinking about it, and I’m working harder now to prepare for it.

Danielle: I dream of the day that we’ll be on tour. I can’t wait to meet our fans around the world and communicate with them through music.

New adventures

Minji: Each album has been a challenge, and it was the same for “Get Up.” The EP consists of three lead tracks and three B-sides. They all have music videos and complex choreography routines, so it was a real challenge.

Haerin: Each song in this EP has a narrative, and each song has a very different atmosphere. Mastering the vocals and choreography for each one was a refreshing experience. We want to be a group that can express all genres well.

Hyein: Trying out three choreography routines for three different songs was an adventure. Each of them was from a drastically different dance genre. I felt like I went back to the time before debuting, as in feeling proud of myself for practicing the dance routines and improving step by step.

The group’s new EP “Get Up” dropped Friday at 1 p.m.

To find out more about NewJeans, visit Celeb Confirmed!  

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]