Solas Sounds 2 NewJeans
If you thought going from a veteran British grime artist to an emerging K-pop group was whiplash… buckle up.
This month, rún’s Solas Series is diving into Hallyu 한류 (Korean Wave) reshaping global entertainment. From BTS & Blackpink to Parasite & Squid Game, this small country has been breaking cultural and language barriers for years. Now, a young, record-breaking, culture-shaping phenomenon (formerly?) known as NewJeans has the spotlight.
Led by tastemaker Min Hee-jin, NewJeans blends K-POP with early 2000s and late 90s pop, UKG, Jersey club, jungle, and new jack swing. The result? A sound that’s somehow both niche and listenable to mass audiences. Floating vocals, cloud-light harmonies, bubbly raps that switch seamlessly between Korean & English, NewJeans constantly creates atmospheric and dreamy soundscapes that wrap its listener in like a warm blanket on a cold winter morning.
Visually, their sound evokes cotton candy skies, pearl tones, hazy pinks, translucent, bright colors. From a fashion perspective, their sound and style are a perfect match, retro futurism. They are styled by the creative mind of Choi Yumi.
Despite debuting in summer `22 (all members being the ages 14-18 at that time) they managed to grab the worlds attention:
• Best-selling K-pop girl group debut (1M+ copies)
• First 4th-gen girl group with a #1 US Billboard 200 (Get Up)
• Artist & Song of the Year (MAMA & MMA)
• Top Global K-Pop Artist (Billboard Music Awards)
• First foreign act to win Japan’s Record Awards Excellent Work Award
• Performed at Lollapalooza, Summer Sonic & Tokyo Dome
• Featured in TIME’s Next Generation Leaders, Billboard 21 Under 21 & Forbes Korea Power Celebrity
Even with recent turbulence surrounding their parent company and a brief pause from the spotlight, their influence hasn’t faded — it’s only building.
If you’re new to their sound, dive into our solas sound playlist for NewJeans hits + rún team favorites.
Listen to our NewJeans playlist on Spotify 🎧
#Rún #SolasSeries #NewJeans #Hallyu #Kpop #KoreanWave #MusicCulture #RetroFuturism #Y2K #Minji #Hanni #Danielle #Haerin #Hyein
