NewJeans Drop 4-Member Special Film for Their 4th Anniversary — Minji's Appearance Fuels Comeback Hopes
NewJeans have returned with their first official content in about a year and four months, marking their fourth debut anniversary. On July 22, the group released a special film on their official YouTube channel. It's their first team content since they halted activities following a Hong Kong concert last March, and fan anticipation is running high. A Moonlit Summer Night, Four Members Hand in Hand The 59-second film is set against a cool, moonlit summer night. Starting with Minji, the members — Hanni, Haerin, and Hyein — gather one by one, smiling brightly as they clasp each other's hands and gaze together at something off in the distance. That signature NewJeans warmth and soft, dreamy mood is still very much intact, which fans found heartening. Four individual films were also released, each capturing small everyday moments from Minji, Hanni, Haerin, and Hyein. All Eyes on Minji's Appearance What drew the most attention in this film was Minji's presence. Her situation had been a subject of much speculation, so with no official return announcement having been made, her inclusion in the film has stirred growing hopes online for a resumption of team activities. To put the situation in context: of the five members, three — Haerin, Hyein, and Hanni — halted their exclusive-contract dispute and returned to ADOR last year, while Minji had continued discussions about returning. That a four-member film including Minji has now surfaced makes it especially significant. That said, when asked whether Minji's return is confirmed, ADOR gave no clear answer. The agency described the film as "commemorative content created to celebrate the fourth anniversary together with fans," adding that "specific plans and formats for activities will be announced once discussions with the members are fully concluded." It's more accurate to read this as anniversary content than to conclude it's a comeback signal. From Debut to the Top of Billboard — and a Standstill NewJeans first stepped onto the music scene on July 22, 2022, with the music video for their debut track "Attention." They went on to score consecutive hits with "Hype Boy," "Ditto," "OMG," and "Super Shy," cementing their place as one of K-pop's leading girl groups, and in 2023 their second EP "Get Up" reached the top of the Billboard 200, the main US album chart. But as an exclusive-contract dispute with their agency ADOR erupted, team activities effectively ground to a halt. The members held a press conference in November 2024 to declare the termination of their exclusive contracts, but courts subsequently sided with ADOR in an injunction request and the main lawsuit, putting the brakes on any independent activity. Danielle Wasn't Part of It One bittersweet note is that Danielle was not included in this four-member lineup. Her return to ADOR ultimately fell through. ADOR is currently pursuing a damages suit against Danielle's side and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin. The agency initially filed for roughly 43.1 billion won before revising the claim to around 33 billion won following a change of legal counsel. With both sides sharply at odds over responsibility for the contract breach, Danielle's path forward appears tied to the outcome of the litigation. That day, Danielle posted a photo on her personal social media with the message, "Life gets blurry sometimes, but the light always comes back. Keep shining until then." Fans left messages of support such as "I miss you" and "I hoped you'd come back as five," expressing their disappointment. NewJeans After the Fourth Anniversary NewJeans plan to carry their anniversary forward through follow-up content beginning with this special film. Having resurfaced after a gap of over a year, they once again have fans' full attention as everyone watches to see what they do next.
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