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The name change was announced by American media company COMPLEX ahead of the group’s headlining performance at the ComplexCon Hong Kong event in March
MANILA, Philippines – Following their dispute with HYBE and the termination of their exclusive contracts with the agency, the NewJeans are turning a new page in their careers with a name change. The five-member group will now be known as NJZ.
The name change was announced by the five members and American media company COMPLEX on Friday, February 7, ahead of the group’s headlining performance at the ComplexCon Hong Kong event on March 21 to 23. COMPLEX added that the group will be performing new music at the event.
“We are thrilled to be stepping onto the stage for the first time as NJZ and share something new with everyone. It’s a big moment for us and we can’t wait for fans to be a part of this journey with us and show the world our new music that we have been eagerly waiting to share,” Minji said in a press release.
The group members also opened up about their new chapter and name in an exclusive interview with CNN. Danielle and Hanni said the group spent a lot of time before picking a name that retained the essence of the original NewJeans name.
“Even though we have to leave our previous name behind us for a bit, we’re not fully moving on from it. And we don’t want to either, because [being NewJeans] was still a very special period of time to us, and it’s something that our fans also probably hold really dear,” Hanni said.
She also teased that fans should expect music and releases that are “very different to what people are familiar” with the group and hope to “experiment with different types of performances.”
“Beforehand, we were very focused on being the kind of ‘girl next door’… So, we’re going for a [look that’s] a lot more sharp, a lot more bold,” Hanni said.
The now-NJZ members terminated their contracts with HYBE and sub-label ADOR in November 2024 after failing to respond to their demands for the agency to rectify alleged breaches.
Following the contract termination, the group opened a new Instagram account in December which will now serve as NJZ’s official account.
Hanni said they are “working a lot to resolve everything so that we can go… back to normal,” adding that they don’t want their dispute with HYBE “to be the focus of our careers.”
ADOR also filed a separate injunction in January to prevent the group’s five members from independently signing advertising contracts while a lawsuit over the validity of the official contract with the agency is ongoing. According to The Korea Times, the first court hearing over the ADOR contracts will be held in April.
NJZ debuted under ADOR as NewJeans through a surprise debut in July 2022 through “Attention” and “Hype Boy.” The group consists of five members — Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein.
The five-member group’s latest release was the Japanese single “Supernatural” in June. They also visited the Philippines for the “Coke Studio: The Ultimate Fandom Concert” on September 5. – Rappler.com