NewJeans is HYBE Entertainments’ newest girl group that just debuted earlier this month. The NewJeans members consists of Hyein, Hanni, Haerin, Danielle, and Minji. Even before their official debut, they received lots of attention from the internet for their stunning visuals and group concept. But it’s not just the members that netizens are talking about, it’s the lyrics of their album title track Cookie.
Released on August 1st, NewJeans debut EP includes the songs Attention, Hybe Boy, Hurt, and Cookie. Immediately after their debut EP was released, international fans started to point out the suggestive lyrics throughout Cookie. Some of the translated lyrics include lines like “I want to make you lose your appetite”, “I wanna see you taste it”, “Lookin at my cookie, the scent alone will make you see”, and “Thats how you like it, ain’t that right?”. This is especially concerning because the members’ ages range from fourteen to eighteen years old. But it goes deeper than just these lyrics.
After the lyrics sexual undertones were pointed out, lots of people began to point fingers at NewJeans’ creative director, Min Hee-jin. Min Hee-jin is currently the creative director and CEO of HYBE Entertainment. Fans started digging up and noticing trends from past groups she’s worked under. Lots of people pointed out that groups like SHINee, Red Velvet, and f(x) might have been victims of Min Hee-jin’s pedophilic tendencies. These groups had members under eighteen when she worked with them. Concern first sparked when netizens dug into her history: specifically, her Instagram. Min Hee-jin has said that she gets lots of her concept inspiration from media she watches, and it shows. On Instagram, she posted a movie featuring Audrey Hepburn where she plays an eighteen-year-old character whose love interest is over fifty. Min Hee-jin also features posters from the pedophilic movies Le Farò da Padre and Salon Kitty in her home. Both posters show underage characters in sexual poses or not fully dressed.
Even after this has been brought up, there were lots of different opinions on whether the song is actually inappropriate or not. Korean fans gave feedback that the song wasn’t sexual at all. On the other hand, international fans are disgusted with the thought of minors singing a song with sexual innuendos. There seems to be a lot of mixed opinions, but most people are uncomfortable with the whole situation.
Fans on twitter are also giving opinions on how they feel about the members ages. Twitter user @ningsentric says in a tweet that “minors should not be debuting into such a toxic industry, especially where child exploitation and pedophilia are fairly common, and min heejin is just a whole freak that need to stay far away from children.” Another user, @sweetchoerryluv tweeted “attention mv really gave me these vibes. it made me feel like I was watching something i wasn’t supposed to see. like i was peeping. so much points to like, corruption of innocence and sh*t like that.”
Lots of people have given their opinion on NewJeans concept and director, but I recommend watching and reading the lyrics yourself. Do you feel its appropriate for Min Hee-jin to be working with minors? Or did some fans just blow it out of proportion?
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