Expectations run high with every NewJeans release. Since coming onto the K-pop scene unannounced in July 2022, they’ve shaken the entire world, inspiring a cultural phenomenon across the globe. Their debut EP, New Jeans sold over a million copies and spawned generation-defining hits characterized by ‘90s and Y2K pop-R&B, mellow beats, and atmospheric synthesizers.
As their Bunnies fanbase grew, so did the anticipation.
A day before their first anniversary, NewJeans released their sophomore EP, Get Up. Coming at the heels of a great year for the quintet, the six-track record further demands attention as the girls continue to expand their laidback yet vibrant soundscape.
In typical NewJeans fashion, the EP took over social media, fueling TikTok trends for songs like “ETA” and “ASAP”. Get Up doesn’t stray too far away from what we already love about the ADOR act and yet also opens the possibilities for so much more.
1. New Jeans
It’s not uncommon for girl groups to have eponymous songs dedicated to themselves or their fandoms. As far as “New Jeans” goes, it’s a glossy anthemic statement done right by drawing influences from different dance styles. The result is a simple but stylish introduction that makes easy work of welcoming the listener to stay for more.
2. Super Shy
There’s no guilty pleasure in enjoying “Super Shy,” the EP’s first and most commercially successful single. It takes a liquid drum and bass, and bubblegum Jersey club song like this to make a real-life flash mob out of non-dancers. In other words, it’s easy to sing, easy to dance, and easy to remember.
3. ETA
“ETA” has the urgency of choppy air horns and scurried drum breaks blaring at full volume but with the leniency of NewJeans’ signature “mellow” melody. The stark contrast somehow marries the upbeat Baltimore club with the girls’ bright, light timbres and creates a song that you can’t help but keep on repeat.
4. Cool With You
NewJeans reaches peak maturity in the form of “Cool With You.” This UK garage track is noted for its standout vocals and impressive lyricism as the members communicate a sense of intimacy in their individual runs and layered harmonies. Even with a running length of 2 minutes and 27 seconds, the track runs the risk of seeming too short and yet, it’s as complete as it can be.
5. Get Up
Only an interlude, “Get Up” is a teaser of things to come for NewJeans as they venture further into different genres and inspirations. The only criticism to be made of this song is that it lacks a full-length version, which Bunnies have been dying to hear. The dreamy R&B ballad works with the girls’ airy harmonies floating above atmospheric synths. If there could only be one, this is easily the best track to represent the EP.
6. ASAP
The closing track, “ASAP,” is a sweet pop song with bubbly percussion, syncopated synths, and a ticking clock sound. Although the melody is as attractive as the song’s initial teasers leading up to Get Up’s release, the final product could have had another accompanying verse. It has all the makings of an earworm, making it no surprise that it was chosen as Get Up‘s closer for the easygoing yet lasting impression it leaves.
Fresh Take Amid High Stakes
ADOR, the HYBE subsidiary that manages NewJeans, was wise to reach out to K-pop outsiders who had never listened to the genre to produce Get Up. These were the likes of Danish singer-songwriter Erika de Casier and Norwegian musician Catharina Stoltenberg. Fresh eyes to produce a fresh sound. As expected, the combination of R&B and various dance styles like UK garage, drum and bass, Baltimore, and Jersey club were refreshing to the ear.
If there had to be any points for improvement for NewJeans, it’s how their discography comes short in length. The entirety of their latest EP lasts 12 minutes and 13 seconds, averaging roughly 2 minutes per song. The longest track, “Super Shy,” doesn’t even come close to the three-minute mark while “Get Up” is only 36 seconds.
Such a creative decision is only an afterthought that, while probably not that deep anyway, can still leave an impression that the tracks are raw and rushed.
Commercially, the EP is an undeniable success. This is the group’s third consecutive album to sell over one million copies, even entering them into the Billboard 200 chart with a No. 1 debut. While artistically, Get Up is a clear indication that NewJeans knows exactly where it wants to be and the direction it will take to get there.
Brief but brilliant, the EP is a sample of the kind of artistry the members can access so early into their careers.
Focus Tracks: “Super Shy”, “ETA”, “Cool With You”, “Get Up”
Listen to NewJeans’ Get Up below: