Who is NewJeans?
From a record-breaking debut to legal battles with ADOR, NewJeans enters 2026 facing an uncertain future and possible lineup changes.
A photo of NewJeans released on July 22 to mark the girl group’s fourth debut anniversary
ADOR
NewJeans debuted in July 2022 under ADOR, a HYBE label. The group was initially launched with five members: Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein, created by former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, best known for having been the creative director of SM Entertainment from 2002 to 2019.
NewJeans quickly stood out with a nostalgic sound and styling, the so-called “Y2K” theme, drawing from the late 1990s and early 2000s, finding immediate success with tracks from its debut EP, "New Jeans," including “Attention” (2022), “Hype Boy” (2022) and “Cookie” (2022).
NewJeans became one of K-pop’s biggest breakout acts since its first EP, followed by hits “Ditto” (2022) and “OMG” (2023). Its second EP “Get Up” (2023) included “Super Shy,” “ETA” and “Cool With You,” and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making NewJeans the second K-pop girl group to top the chart following Blackpink. “Super Shy” peaked at No. 48 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2024, NewJeans continued its global expansion with releases including “How Sweet,” “Bubble Gum” and the Japanese debut single “Supernatural.”
However, the group’s future was thrown into uncertainty after a conflict between ADOR, HYBE and Min Hee-jin escalated in 2024. In November that year, the members announced that they were terminating their contracts with ADOR over alleged mistreatment, while the agency maintained that the contracts remained valid. The group later attempted independent activities under the name NJZ, but suspended activities in 2025 after court rulings barred them from promotions outside ADOR.
In October 2025, a Seoul court ruled in favor of the record label, confirming the validity of the members’ exclusive contracts with the agency. Haerin, Hyein and Hanni later returned to ADOR, while Danielle departed the group after the agency terminated her exclusive contract in December 2025 and subsequently sued her for breaching contracts, along with her family member and ex-ADOR CEO Min.
As of 2026, Minji’s future activities with the group have remained under discussion, leaving NewJeans in a transitional period as a possible three- or four-member act.
BY SHIN HA-NEE [[email protected]]
