NewJeans Receives Backing from Senior Artists and Various Fandoms, While HYBE Stays Quiet

On September 13, support for NewJeans amplified within the music industry. Notably, Dawon from the girl group WJSN (also known as Cosmic Girls) publicly endorsed NewJeans through her social media platforms.

She shared a screenshot of NewJeans’ album cover, adding the word “Forever.” The image featured NewJeans tracks such as “Super Shy,” “Attention,” “How Sweet,” and “Supernatural,” signaling her support after their recent live broadcast.

Bada, a prominent artist from S.E.S., has also consistently demonstrated her support for NewJeans. She previously posted a video of Hanni performing a self-composed song and commented, “Can’t the adults be more wise or compassionate so that these kids, who are just starting to pursue their dreams, won’t get hurt?”

Additionally, she shared the music video for NewJeans’ “Bubble Gum,” expressing concern with the remark, “I wonder if these young friends have been struggling amidst the complicated adult matters.”

Support from fandoms of other groups has also emerged for NewJeans. A significant instance is the fans of SEVENTEEN, who are under Pledis, a subsidiary of HYBE.

In particular, SEVENTEEN fan accounts have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their criticism of HYBE and extend their support for NewJeans. Many indicated that “the pressure HYBE is applying on other artists may also affect SEVENTEEN members,” and expressed concerns that “this issue could become our problem in the future.”

HYBE manages several labels with a roster of multiple artists, including 12 groups and 5 solo artists. If the fandoms of these groups collaborate, they could wield considerable influence.

Meanwhile, NewJeans members conducted an emergency live broadcast on September 11.

During this broadcast, Hyein stated, “The way HYBE operates is neither honest nor right. Please stop interfering any further. Bring back the CEO and restore Ador to its original state, not this unfamiliar environment.”

Danielle expressed her feelings, stating, “HYBE only appears to be an inhumane company,” while Hanni shared that a manager from another group had told someone to “ignore” her right in front of her.

NewJeans includes young members like Haerin and Hyein, and witnessing these minors publicly convey their mental distress amidst the conflict involving former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin and HYBE has startled the public. Regardless of the veracity of Min Hee-jin’s allegations, it’s clear that HYBE has eroded the trust of its artists and is inadequately addressing the situation. Following NewJeans’ ultimatum, HYBE’s stock price fell, emphasizing the urgent need for an official explanation and position.

HYBE’s ongoing silence is resulting in a loss of public and investor support. In the entertainment sector, the consumers are the public. To retain a customer base that is slowly drifting away, HYBE must adopt proactive strategies.

Source: TenAsia