Girl group NewJeans says ‘honesty’ was key to its success

NewJeans, one of the hottest K-pop girl groups, said Wednesday its secret to success was “honesty” during a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday.

When asked what it thinks is behind its success, member Minji said she and her bandmates had not expected the band would receive this much love.

“But we have a strong desire to purely enjoy the stage. I think many people see that feature as honesty and look at us with affectionate eyes,” she added.

The press conference was held at Apple Gangnam in southern Seoul to promote its collaboration project with the company launched in celebration of the store’s opening Friday. It marked the group’s first formal appearance before reporters since its debut in July.

The quintet rose to stardom in the K-pop scene after releasing its debut EP, “New Jeans,” led by three tracks, “Attention,” “Hype Boy” and “Cookie.”

As its follow-up singles “Ditto” and “OMG” also became big hits, it first entered the Hot 100 main songs chart on the U.S. Billboard just six months after its debut, a remarkable feat for a Korean rookie, proving that its popularity is not just a passing trend.

Asked if the members feel burdened by the band’s quick rise to fame, Haerin said: “There is some pressure, but I’m more grateful. I’m also excited to show various sides of us in the future.”

Danielle said: “It’s great to see so many people receiving strength from listening to our music and giving us so much love. I feel like I need to work even harder in the future.”

On Saturday, Apple Gangnam will open a pop-up studio where visitors can enjoy NewJeans’ music through Apple’s spatial audio for a limited period. There will be special listening sessions of the band’s hit song “OMG” every Friday and Saturday at every hour from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., according to the store.