NewJeans’ Latest Single 'How Sweet' Album Sales Drop: Because of HYBE-ADOR Conflict?
In a dynamic twist within the K-pop industry, NewJeans experienced a notable decrease in first-week sales with their latest single, "How Sweet," according to recent Hanteo Chart.
The single, which was released on May 24, garnered 884,717 copies sold within its first week.
This figure marked a stark 46.3% decrease compared to the initial sales of their previous mini-album, "Get Up," which boasted 1,650,181 copies sold in July the previous year.
NewJeans new double single, "How Sweet," sold 811,843 copies just yesterday, the first day of its release, according to Hanteo Chart.
It is virtually certain that it will become the fourth million-seller in its history.
If this continues, all physical albums released since… pic.twitter.com/Azq7T6LaGB— Mark (@MarkJP1008) May 25, 2024
NewJeans’ three projects ‘New Jeans’ EP, ‘OMG’ single album, and ‘Get Up’ EP have all surpassed 1 Billion streams on Spotify AND have all sold over 1 Million copies. They’re 3 for 3. The most insane run for a rookie group ever. pic.twitter.com/Terke2uxxw
— ؘ (@newjified) January 4, 2024
The bubble gum 🍬🫧🥰💕✨ genre changes with Minji 🥵😖😫😠💀 pic.twitter.com/QOYJmeySkJ
— ᵃʳᵃ☘️| How Sweet (@mintcarebear) June 3, 2024
The single "How Sweet" featured two new tracks, "How Sweet" and "Bubble Gum," accompanied by their respective instrumental versions.
Its release garnered significant industry attention, notably amidst the ongoing management dispute between ADOR's CEO Min Hee Jin and HYBE.
Initial projections were optimistic, as "How Sweet" soared to over 810,000 copies sold on its debut day, suggesting the potential for a million-seller.
However, sales saw a sharp decline from the second day onwards, with only approximately 70,000 additional copies sold throughout the remainder of the first week, culminating in a total of 891,179 copies sold as of June 3.
#NewJeans latest track #How_Sweet sold 884,717 copies in its first week, a 46.4% decrease compared to their previous release #Get_Up, w sold 1,650,181 copies
— 熊推 (@bearPush24hr) May 30, 2024
The drop in sales may be linked to the recent controversy involving #MinHeeJin and #HYBE
What are your thoughts on this? pic.twitter.com/pzRqC2uEyF
Analysts speculated that this decline in sales could signify a hiccup in the K-pop album market's growth trajectory.
While NewJeans had been on hiatus without releasing new albums, other groups also experienced diminished sales compared to their prior works, failing to achieve new career highs.
This trend of declining sales had been evident towards the end of the previous year and into the early months of the current year.
Industry analysts attribute this decline to fan fatigue resulting from years of intense competition within the industry.
The prolonged management dispute may have played a role in NewJeans' sales slump, as concerns arise regarding its impact on the group's fandom cohesion.
An industry insider emphasized the need to further monitor cumulative sales trends amidst the current transitional phase of the album market.
Despite the sales setback, NewJeans continues to maintain a strong presence in the digital music domain.
something about pretty kpop girls and their love for newjeans pic.twitter.com/s2UtDmvMrt
— ؘ (@newjified) June 4, 2024
Their songs, "How Sweet" and "Bubble Gum," secure impressive positions on major charts such as Melon, Bugs, and Flo, holding the 2nd and 3rd ranks respectively.
“How Sweet” And “Bubble Gum” Are Charting at TOP 3 of All Korean Real Time Charts pic.twitter.com/Lzu5rWZgWm
— NewJeans Records (@NewJeansRecords) May 30, 2024
As the K-pop industry navigates through turbulent waters marked by internal disputes and shifting market dynamics, stakeholders remain vigilant, observing how these factors will continue to influence the trajectory of artists like NewJeans in the months to come.
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Written by Cassidy Jones.
