New Jeans now falls into the Japan quagmire instead of attacking the world

    I am really surprised by this move of Min Heejin to lead NewJeans to Japan for a quick buck.


    This was the year for NJ to launch a world tour, probably later in this year, to cement its position around the world.


    I wonder whether it is the result of a power game between MHJ and the Hybe execs, but this move makes NJ lose an entire year.


    Le Sserafim's emphasis in Japan can be understood since it has 2 Japanese members.


    However, NJ has 2 English speaking members, and no Japanese speaking member.


    After wasting 10 months in what should have been their most aggressive phase, they now fall into the Japanese quagmire.


    It is unfortunate that IU lost face to Bibi earlier this year, and to redeem herself, and to put herself back to #1 in the Gallup polls, IU is likely to release a digital single before she has the concerts in the soccer stadium on Sep 21-22.


    IU's autumn morning in 2017 derailed Twice and Strawberry Moon derailed aespa in 2021. With NJ stuck in Japan, it will have no defense against a surprise IU assault in the autumn.


    BTS only treated Japan as an afterthought, after all the schedules were done.


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    BTS returning home after the concert in Las Vegas, Dec 1-4, while IU snagged the Melon Grand Prize


    I have said, for the umpteenth time, that Bang should have instead arranged a whirlwind tour of USA to maximize the revenue.


    Min Heejin is making the same mistake Bang made back in 2021.


    As long as there is an internal enemy who will be very happy to exploit any kind of gaps created by the top act, the top act has to be vigilant but like Bang , Min Heejin went for the quick buck, not a long term strategy. As long as IU is around no top KPop acts can rest assured.


    If IU beats NJ at the gallup polls at the end of the year, NJ will probably have a trajectory similar to Twice.

    Something fishy is going on between BSY and MHJ. Like for real. It started since BSY directly put Jungkook against NJ last summer. Didn’t push them in that western music show when NJ are rookies but pushzd TXT instead.


    It's like there is some competition or power struggle going on between these two. Some sort or rivalery or smth...


    Like for real tell me if you know how it works. Could BSY have the power to postpoint NJ full album comeback to push this time LSF? And is he trying to replace NJ by Illit or smth? (Trying of course)


    It's like he has a grudge on MHJ or smth. Because if NJ released their long awaited full album in march then they could have gone to Coachella as well. And LSF would have made a comback in the next semester and probably headline Lollapaloza. While NJ would started promotion in Japan in the summer and maybe go to Summersonic and then go on a world tour or smth.


    But NAH. NJ got delayed to death. 10 freaking month. The album pushed a year further and they basically lost a whole year. And with BTS coming back next year that's it. In some ways BSY gets his own domination. Like a power trip or smth...


    Poor NJ girls. I remember they said they were training and reheasing to death for their upcoming project and apparently they worked really hard, but like for nothing... Now they will have to redo everything, if my theory is true.

    Also MHJ schedules are like very tight and clear like im pretty sure she calculated the whole schedule years ahead. This must be a sorta case of emergency. And now we got cf songs being released before being release on an album?? Like wtf


    Anyway. Do you think there is some power struggle going on between these two?

    And how much power does he actually have? Does he makes descisions alone or are there other stockholders or smth who do as well? Because that's a dumb move.


    Indeed NJ has crazy potential and them disapearing for almost 1 whole year in their 2nd year and basically rookies internationally is just no good. Just look at their monthly linsteners on spotify, they keep on melting and they lost at last 10million listeners. Like FR.

    WHAT IS GOING ON?

    I guess this year they will have mega fanmeets, including a repeat of Tokyo Dome later in the year. Maybe 6 in total, and a couple of huge ones in other countries.


    So basically in a couple of weekends, they would have sold more tickets than other groups touring for 8 months. LOL.

    I sort of agree that its strange we’re suddenly getting this Japanese push, but if you think about it last year Ditto SLAYED in Japan with absolutely no promo and was even nominated for Song Of the Year at their most important award show.


    I think its smart theyre releasing 4 songs in at least 2 languages. The Korean releases already do really well in both the west AND Japan, so we’ll be able to get SOMETHING in the “Korean” (60% english ANYWAYS) releases

    Anyone with common sense could see this push into Japan coming. They have the best charting and most popular songs of any girl group, and received invites to Japan's biggest music programs and awards, despite never actively promoting there.


    Well now ADOR is getting the payout from all the Bunnies they've carefully raised in Japan.


    This was always a matter of when, not if. And they're not doing some half assed promo either. They're going all in.


    MHJ is brilliant as always

    Also if NJ did indeed release their full album in march they could have not only went to coachella but also have a proper tokyo dome concert. And alson probably win end year rewards.

    But BSY probably want these awards to go to LSF. So he opposed her scedule.


    I could understand if LSF were as big as NJ and struff and had their potential and NJ was an older senior group who was already given all the possible opportunities, but they're not so it just feels like a bad move and specially just very unfair towards NJ. Now they end up with no coachella, no lollapaloza and a fanmeeting at tokyo dome. Lol. And probaly no major end year awards either.


    That's why it's actually such a bad move to debut 2 ggs in the SAME year. S*hit like that tend to happen then! And the ressources or opportunities are not unlimited. :pepefacepalm:

    i agree with you. And everybody actually thaught that japan promo was only a question of when. But it's like not really the question here. It's the timing that seems off. MHJ always catered to the west first. And NJs been gone for almost a year and their basically still rookies internationally, so, it just doesn’t make sense.


    Why not the release the full album first? Where is the english single?

    I do wonder about the rivalry aspect. Didn't MHJ supposedly butt heads with Hybe when she got drafted hence moving her to Ador, and she even said during the debut promotions Hybe didn't belive in the concept and sound and said it needed to be harder hitting.


    Wouldn't be surprised if the amount of push LSF is getting is to prove his vision could also be massively successful. I wonder if he wanted/expected LSF to get big in the US (judging from the music choice alone) and expected NWJNS to get big in SK and Asia only but it didn't happen like that so he is working hard playing catchup and MHJ is just doing what she wants/trying to solidify the Asian fanbase by specifically targeting the Japanese fans who are known for being uber loyal.

    Of course there is.


    Le Sserafim is run by Bang himself (So Sungjin, the ex owner of Source and GFriend, lost his power completely when Kim Garam was kicked out). He wants to prove himself that he can run a girl group.


    I sensed it when Le Sserafim appeared on the week after New Jeans appeared on IU's concert. Lee Jieun, herself a former company owner and very conversant on company politics, did NOT want to anger either factions so she just invited both to her concert. She had invited New Jeans to her talk show and apparently some people in Hybe seem to have been not too happy about her only supporting New Jeans.


    I don't think Bang cares , since he will support that act which brings him the most amount of money, but the people under Bang would feel uneasy that Min Heejin, who is from SM, taking a greater role in the company, which makes their positions vulnerable.

    Quote from K-PL

    I guess this year they will have mega fanmeets, including a repeat of Tokyo Dome later in the year. Maybe 6 in total, and a couple of huge ones in other countries.


    So basically in a couple of weekends, they would have sold more tickets than other groups touring for 8 months. LOL.

    IU will have more than 600,000 attending her world tour

    NJ, even if they have all 6 fan meetings in venues the size of Tokyo Dome, will have 300,000

    Quote from bangmenah

    I sort of agree that its strange we’re suddenly getting this Japanese push, but if you think about it last year Ditto SLAYED in Japan with absolutely no promo and was even nominated for Song Of the Year at their most important award show.


    I think its smart theyre releasing 4 songs in at least 2 languages. The Korean releases already do really well in both the west AND Japan, so we’ll be able to get SOMETHING in the “Korean” (60% english ANYWAYS) releases

    Instead, with 2 English speaking members, they should have released an English album.


    Japan could be 'hinted ' as an afterthought.


    With a Japanese single, they now have to go thru the steps newer KPop acts went thru in Japan. I don't think BTS went thru that since they never really promoted in Japan.

    The proceeds will go to finance her new boy group while NJ loses the chances to the shine in the world

    Quote from Tatiana1820

    i agree with you. And everybody actually thaught that japan promo was only a question of when. But it's like not really the question here. It's the timing that seems off. MHJ always catered to the west first. And NJs been gone for almost a year and their basically still rookies internationally, so, it just doesn’t make sense.


    Why not the release the full album first? Where is the english single?

    MHJ catering to West first?


    Shinee?

    Quote from onwards

    I do wonder about the rivalry aspect. Didn't MHJ supposedly butt heads with Hybe when she got drafted hence moving her to Ador, and she even said during the debut promotions Hybe didn't belive in the concept and sound and said it needed to be harder hitting.


    Wouldn't be surprised if the amount of push LSF is getting is to prove his vision could also be massively successful. I wonder if he wanted/expected LSF to get big in the US (judging from the music choice alone) and expected NWJNS to get big in SK and Asia only but it didn't happen like that so he is working hard playing catchup and MHJ is just doing what she wants/trying to solidify the Asian fanbase by specifically targeting the Japanese fans who are known for being uber loyal.

    Of course, it is.


    I explained that in a reply above this.


    But it is also Min Heejin's fault since she remembers her SM days and wants to use her SM formula, forgetting that there are 2 English speakers in NJ

    see im not so sure about that. I actually think he is making very irrational business décisions and his ego is taking over his greed. why do that to NJ otherwise?


    he ALWAYS puts his groups first even when it doesn’t makes sense as rookies should be promoted first and the groups with the most potential shouldnt be literally cast away like that. it's always at NJs detriment.


    Anyway it was dumb to debut 2 gg in the same year. And i honestly think that until he tried all he could to break HIS groups into the western market regardless of merits or potentials or even pure results, NJ will not get the Hybe connection privilege. Quite the opposite actually, they're gonna be blocked or limited in their expansion.

    And LSF going to iu concert just makes me think that in the first place, NJ going there was a sort of promotion linked to a potential march comeback. Im sure many things where scheduled so that their full album, iu concert, iu collab, billboard award and coachella must have taken place in the same semester and then the japanse debut and a world tour. Im sure NJ 2024 was very heavily packed. And it makes sense of course their just 2 year old and strive to expand as much as possible.


    But nah, BSY said there were going to LSF because he wants those awards, he wants to prove himself. Even if it meant completely disrupting MHJ's very calculated specific schedule and waisting a whole year for NJ. And therefore they had to start the year with a japanese debut when im pretty sure it was meant to happen after all the things i wrote were meant to happen in march for NJ. I think its a sorta plan B. MHJ is trying to bounce back.


    But you can't hinder true potential and talent and good music will always win in the end, with the proper exposure.

    Quote from WhyKnock

    Instead, with 2 English speaking members, they should have released an English album.


    Japan could be 'hinted ' as an afterthought.


    With a Japanese single, they now have to go thru the steps newer KPop acts went thru in Japan. I don't think BTS went thru that since they never really promoted in Japan.

    BTS mostly promoted in the west but they started doing appearances again in Japan recentl years. They couldnt really do anything back because of the controversy in which one of biggest tv station in Japan cancelled their performance.

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