NewJeans returns as a 4-member group with Minzy, celebrating their 4th anniversary

NewJeans has returned as a four-member group, including Minzy, to celebrate their 4th anniversary. On the 22nd, ADOR posted special videos and photos titled '2026 Summer of NewJeans' through their official YouTube and Instagram channels. This content showcases a new side of NewJeans for the first time in approximately 2 years and 2 months since the release of their double single 'How Sweet' in May 2024.

The video features the four members—Minzy, Hani, Haerin, and Hyein—appearing one by one and smiling as they hold each other's hands. The four members gathered in one frame, excluding Danielle, whose exclusive contract with ADOR was terminated last December. Previously, Haerin and Hyein returned to ADOR in November of last year, and Hani in December. With Minzy, whose return had been uncertain, also joining, the reorganization into a four-member group has been formalized.

A four-member system following legal disputes

NewJeans engaged in a dispute in November 2024, requesting the termination of their exclusive contracts with ADOR. After the ruling on the validity of the exclusive contract (main lawsuit) on October 30, the members, who had entered a temporary hiatus, shifted their direction toward returning to their original agency following the verdict. The court ruled in favor of ADOR in the lawsuit. Holding her responsible for leaving the team, ADOR notified Danielle of the termination of her exclusive contract last December and is currently proceeding with legal procedures.

The title of this video, '2026 Summer of NewJeans,' refers to the members' summer activities. The video unfolds with the members appearing one by one against the backdrop of a moonlit summer night, holding each other's hands.

Visual direction led by Director Kim Na-yeon

In the production crew list that solidified NewJeans' visual direction following the era of former CEO Min Hee-jin, Kim Na-yeon is listed as the Creative Director. Kim Na-yeon worked at SM Entertainment's Visual Media Team from 2017 to 2018, and subsequently worked through HYBE's CBO organization and ADOR alongside former CEO Min Hee-jin. She participated in NewJeans' debut film, 'Toffee's Room,' 'Bunny Cloud,' the rabbit character, and 3D graphic works.

For this project, Kim Dana and Yang Ye-won were in charge of creative direction and arrangement, while Kim Won-gyu and Lee Saet-byeol handled graphic design. Choi Yu-mi served as the style director and handled styling. The video direction and editing were handled by Director Kim Min-jae, with participation from production company Bower and local production company Hoffman Creative. Personnel for filming, lighting, art, set, VFX, color grading, and sound were deployed.

The visuals maintained NewJeans' existing grammar. In a space reminiscent of an old house, cathode-ray tube (CRT) TVs, old sofas, floor lamps, and paper prints were placed. However, rather than the everyday feel captured by an early camcorder, it took on a stronger fashion editorial character with precisely controlled sets, poses, and colors. The four members distributed visual weight equally by standing side-by-side or occupying different positions within the interior.

Four individual films capturing each member's daily life

Along with the group video, four individual films capturing the daily lives of each member were also released. Minzy finds a flyer at a gas station while driving a pickup truck and folds it into a rabbit shape to hold in her hand. Hani spends time humming a song under the sunlight as a rabbit drawing appears on a MIDI screen. Haerin goes out wearing a handmade rabbit bag, and when she puts on earphones, MIDI art in the shape of a rabbit appears on the playback screen. Hyein orders a rabbit-shaped ice cream in front of an ice cream shop called 'The Bunnies Scoop' on her way to go roller skating.

Regarding this content, ADOR stated, "We gathered the hearts of the members who want to celebrate the debut date together with the fans who have been waiting for a long time," adding, "We hope Bunnies will enjoy it with a sense of welcome."

NewJeans' records dominating the Billboard charts

NewJeans debuted on July 22, 2022, by releasing the music video for their debut song 'Attention' before the audio track. They reached the top of the US Billboard 200 with their second mini-album 'Get Up' and placed five songs on the Billboard Hot 100. Recently, 'Right Now,' a track from their Japanese debut single 'Supernatural,' surpassed 100 million cumulative streams as of July 10. Having triggered the 'easy listening' genre of K-pop through 'Hype Boy,' 'Ditto,' 'OMG,' and 'Super Shy,' NewJeans continues to record steady chart performances.