NewJeans and the Wisdom of Adolescence
Candy crush beats and saccharine sounds– K-Pop sensation--NewJeans have taken the world by an excessively sweet and sentimental storm. With the recent release of their second EP “Get Up,” NewJeans have officially debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart with the album’s single, “Super Shy.” Performing at Chicago’s Lollapalooza and securing a fitting global ambassadorship with Levis, NewJeans is just a year old and yet achieving many milestones. This article takes a quick look at how this might be the case.
Composed of five members (Hanni, Haerin, Hyein, Minji, and Danielle), the name NewJeans is a play on both words and fashion. Jeans being a timeless wardrobe staple, accounting for the group’s naturalness and classic charm, and the name sounding like “new genes,” referring to a new generation of K-Pop. The girls’ styles are refreshingly trendy yet lean into the playful spirit of 90s streetwear and Y2K fashion. They rock graphic crop tops and baggy jeans, preppy blazers and Mary Janes. As K-Pop forever molds itself to its ever-changing, youthful audience, NewJeans does what many peers fail to do; authentically speak to their listeners.
In recent years, K-Pop has resounded the globe with its trendy trappings of high-end music videos and brightly colored hair. From everyday streetwear to flashy fashion, skincare products to makeup, Korean idols wear trendy clothes and they create what is trending. They’re associated with out-of-reach luxury houses and advertised streetwear labels. K-Pop is all about hype. However, when considering NewJeans, this sense of maximalism is missing.
They wear their hair naturally, pairing it with no-makeup makeup looks and Generation Z’s adoration with 90s and Y2K clothing. There is no artificially built-up hype. Rather than stringing along fans with concept teasers or video hints, the group drops new music with little announcement ahead of time. NewJeans consists of teenage girls, the youngest being 14, and their style and sound accurately reflects this. Their lyrics illustrate the trials and tribulations teenage girls face, from obsessive crushes who don’t know their names to an inside look at how encompassing relationships seem to feel at that age. NewJeans captures the wisdom of adolescence like no other K-Pop group has ever done before; the exploration of new feelings and excitement as we grow into the awkward pains of girlhood. Like a new pair of jeans, NewJeans fits this generation of listeners perfectly. Afterall, they are one and the same.
Article by Lucy Kaskie, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Photos by Mia Fyson, Graphic Design Intern, PhotoBook Magazine
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