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Three reasons why NewJeans' music industry is in power for a long time

It is no longer meaningful to review their records. NewJeans, which debuted with HYBE label ADOR in July last year, not only ranks first to third in the charts for the next six months, but also has little change in its ranking as shown in the still screen. They never allowed other's songs to invade or interfere with their rankings, even though their other album's songs have changed their rankings.

There is no end to the popularity of NewJeans. Starting with a fresh and energetic hip-hop-based dynamic girl group composed of minors, there will be more than one or two rave reviews, but I can't help but explain a more unique aspect to limited to the most important and essential music categories. It's not very unique or special, but at least there seems to be good reason for these aspects to be used as textbook success laws for many groups to come.

No matter how good looks you have, no matter how excellent your dance skills are, and no matter how much you boast of a style that matches the trend, if the music itself doesn't stand out or you lose affinity, you have no choice but to talk. It is difficult to leave out the power and charm of the song that overwhelms all of this in the long reign of NewJeans. The reasons were summarized in three parts.

① Simple repetition of three to four jazz codes = Looking at "Attention," which NewJeans debut song, and "Hype boy" and "Ditto," which are the most popular songs so far, the songs in the album are usually catchy. The power to concentrate the ears is divided into three categories:

First of all, I borrow the energy of jazz. It has been a trend since the 2010s, but now almost everyone is using "jazz code" without exception. The 80s-style triad (C-Am-Dm-Dm/C-F-G), such as "Unfulfilled Love" and "Young Lovers," commonly known as middle-aged and popular songs, has become difficult to see again like an out-of-season trend. The chords that took this place instead are jazz codes with more chords, such as 5, 7, and 9. In other words, C code is CM7, Am is Am7, and the three chords of 1, 3, 5, and 5 degrees are increased to 1, 3, 5, and 7. The main reason for writing extended chords in this way is that you can hear the feeling of a single-track sound with a refined and three-dimensional sound.

In 'Hype Boy', the expansion code is used with Am7-Bm7-Em7, and 'Dito' uses the most standard '2-5-1 jazz code' with DM7-C#m7 (F#m7)-Bm7 (Bb7#11)-AM7. Attention is also Cm7-GbM7-AbM7-BbM7 and uses the '2-5-1 jazz code'. For reference, 2-5-1 is a very basic and important chord progression method in jazz that has the same effect by changing 4 degrees to 2 degrees, which is a proxy code, in a song structure that goes from 4 degrees to 5 degrees and then goes back to 1 degrees.(Many popular singers such as IU, 10cm, etc. sing in 2-5-1 style)

The second is a significant reduction in the number of codes. The songs of NewJeans are usually limited to three or four codes. Although "Ditto" uses a C#m7 (F#m7)-Bm7 (Bb7#11) proxy code (code in parentheses, it makes a slight change in feeling), it is actually used as a four code. In other words, it aims for the effect of being easily imprinted on the ear by using it simply instead of complicated code. You can think of songs such as Hyukoh Band's "Wiing Weiing" or "Wari-gari."

Finally, repeat this simple jazz code over and over again. If four bars pass and you forget the melody, you can't forget because the same bars will repeat over and over again in the next phrase. The latest recording method is popular to make numerous instruments full of complex codes, but NewJeans is the first to form a "new mainstream of non-mainstream" that has been thoroughly missed in this trend. Although the above three methods are not completely new creations, it is worth noting that they have been created more simply and creatively by combining them all at once. This is also in line with the philosophy of Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADOR. Representative Min frequently mentioned that he wanted to break the traditional way, and NewJeans  music clearly shows traces of such "breaking the formula."

② "Retro + Newtro" sound and rhythm = However, repetitive melodies are easy to get bored. The way to overcome this is to implement a unique rhythm. The infinite repeating melody of four chords, such as "Ditto," deftly escapes the trap of boring music by enigmatically placing fast, slow, strong, and weak rhythms in every four or eight bars. The melody of "Hype Boy" is boring with the repetition of three less jazz-like codes than "Ditto," but the front and back rhythms are completely different around "~What if it's not fun?" In particular, if the introduction moves to a four-beat anchorage, the groove (rhythm) such as syncope (pulling sound) will be changed to a rhythm that emphasizes in the chorus. The sticky R&B rhythm seen in "Attention" gives a mysterious feeling as if it is at a junction between ballad and dance.

Above all, the sound of these songs gives "universal friendliness" to both teenagers and 50s. This was entirely due to the role of Lee O-gong (250, real name Lee Ho-hyung), the composer and main producer of these songs. Iogong's sound gives young people in their teens and 20s the experience of "newtro" (new past) and middle-aged people in their 40s and 50s the experience of "retro" (reproduction of the past). For the older generation, the piano sound of synthesizer brings back the nostalgia of dance music that was often heard in the 90s, and the drum sound also brings back the thrilling memories of tasting at arcade game consoles, but it is accepted as a new sound for the new generation.

The ingenious discovery of this simultaneous music content has already been predicted. In March last year, Lee O-gong performed a feast of so-called B-class sound through his album "Pbong." Dr. Lee also cried and the sticky rhythm was light and pleasant on the one hand, but sad on the other. If you felt excellence and sorrow between the songs of New Jin's, who danced dynamic and sang happily all the time with a bright smile, Iogong's hidden sad narrative might have worked.

③ Singing with a sense that is not a technique = NewJeans has no super-high technique or creepy high notes. Above all, the song has no storyline. Some songs have only the spirit and the spirit. Although hip-hop is the main weapon, there is no share in the distribution of rap parts. Nevertheless, their "singing" is the last device of the power to make all the songs focus while making their ears curl.

I don't sing it out loud, but it sounds more accurate and sharp than any words. Even if you say the same thing, some people's words are cooler and more catchy because of their way of speaking, and NewJeans singing is because of their singing tone. Their singing conveys the current situation in detail to the listener with the emotions of joy, anger, and sorrow in the first note that ends one word and moves on to the next. It is not explained by technique, but informed by the senses and expressed by breathing without persuading with high notes.

In other words, the mature singing voice, which is hard to say as a teenager, was born as a song of concentration that must be listened to in full above and below the sensuous singing. This is why it should be said that their long-term power is inevitable, not coincidence.