K-pop act NewJeans unveils new identity — and a new name

NewJeans (Danielle, Minji, Hyein, Hanni and Haerin) perform in concert during Lollapalooza at Grant Park in August 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Gary Miller/FilmMagic/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

One of the biggest-selling K-pop acts, NewJeans, has changed its name amid a long-running legal dispute that has gripped South Korea.

Speaking exclusively to CNN ahead of Friday’s announcement, the five-member group unveiled it will now be known as NJZ.

Band member Pham Ngoc Han, who goes by Hanni, said the rebrand was a way of “turning this rough period of time into something more exciting,” as the group confirmed it will perform under its new name for the first time at the ComplexCon Hong Kong festival in March. The band will also debut a new song at the three-day event.

“We are working a lot to resolve everything so that we can go… back to normal,” Pham said, speaking to CNN in a phone interview. The 20-year-old singer added that the band does not want its legal dispute with record label Ador “to be the focus of our careers.”

NewJeans emerged as one of South Korea’s most successful pop acts after storming to the top of the country’s charts with debut single “Attention” in 2022. The band achieved international success less than a year later with EP “Get Up” (featuring the crossover hit “Super Shy”), which reached number 1 on the US Billboard 200.

In addition to Pham, the group’s other members — who go by their given names and are all currently aged under 21 — are Haerin (Kang Haerin), Minji (Kim Minji), Hyein (Lee Hye-in) and Danielle (Danielle Marsh). Thursday’s announcement marks the latest twist in an ongoing battle with record label Ador, a subsidiary of Hybe, the K-pop management giant behind acts including BTS.

In November, NewJeans staged an emotional press conference in which the group’s members announced they were terminating their contract with Ador. They have accused the label of “manipulation,” “mistreatment,” “deliberate miscommunications,” and workplace harassment.

Ador has disputed the allegations, as widely reported by local media, and asserted that the band remains under contract. The label has filed a lawsuit against the group and applied for a court injunction that would prevent NJZ from signing advertising deals. Ador did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment on the dispute.

The group has since begun posting content from a new Instagram account, jeanzforfree, where they recently appealed to fans to suggest a new name.

Marsh told CNN the band had “completely lost all trust at the moment” in Ador and added: “We believe we will win this battle against Hybe and Ador.”

A preliminary court hearing for the injunction has been scheduled for March, with the lawsuit set to be heard in April. In the meantime, NJZ said it is focused on making and performing new music, which Kang described as having a “very unique and different sound.”

“There’s nothing holding us back anymore,” added Pham.

The group has previously said its name was a play on words (a double entendre of “new genes”) that also referenced the timeless qualities of a pair of jeans. Marsh said the band spent “a lot of time” considering fans’ suggestions, which included the use of initials, before picking a name that Pham said retained the “essence” of its original moniker.

“Even though we have to leave our previous name behind us for a bit, we’re not fully moving on from it,” Pham said. “And we don’t want to either, because (being NewJeans) was still a very special period of time to us, and it’s something that our fans also probably hold really dear.”

Friday’s announcement may also signify something of a creative rebrand for the group, whose fashion credentials have resulted in an American Vogue shoot and an ambassadorial role at Seoul Fashion Week. Individually, the women are also global ambassadors for some of the world’s biggest luxury brands, from Chanel to Louis Vuitton.

“It’s definitely going to be very different to what people are familiar (with) … and the image that we debuted with,” said Pham, explaining that the band also wants to “experiment with different types of performances.”

“Beforehand, we were very focused on being the kind of ‘girl next door’… So, we’re going for a (look that’s) a lot more sharp, a lot more bold,” she added. “And fashion wise: We love wearing streetwear and non-gendered kind of clothing. I think that concept and aspect is going to play a really strong role in our (new) fashion as well.”

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Oscar Holland, CNN

CNN’s Stephy Chung and Yoonjung Seo contributed to this report.