NewJeans, the breakout K-Pop girl group launched by HYBE‘s sub-label ADOR, has seen its album sales nearly halved compared to their previous release. This comes amidst ongoing controversy surrounding ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and HYBE executives, raising questions about whether the internal conflict affected the group’s performance.

Sales Dip Raises Concerns

According to Hanteo Chart data, NewJeans’ single “How Sweet” sold approximately 884,717 copies in its first week. This marks a significant decrease of 46.3% compared to their debut mini-album “Get Up,” which achieved initial sales of 1,650,181 copies.

The single’s release coincided with a highly publicized management dispute between ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and HYBE leadership. This public discord fueled industry interest in the single’s performance, with initial sales exceeding 810,000 copies on the first day. However, sales dropped dramatically thereafter, falling short of expectations for a “million seller” title.

K-Pop Market in Flux

Industry analysts suggest that the decline in NewJeans’ sales might not solely be due to the internal conflict at HYBE. The K-Pop album market itself has experienced a slowdown in growth. Several other groups have seen their album sales fall short of previous highs, potentially due to “fan fatigue” caused by the intense competition for initial sales figures.

However, there are positive signs. April saw a significant resurgence in the market, with monthly album sales surpassing 10 million units for the first time in 2024. This trend is bolstered by the success of other 4th generation girl groups like IVE and aespa. Both groups achieved “million seller” status with their recent releases, demonstrating continued fan support for top acts.

Unanswered Questions

While NewJeans maintains strong digital presence with their songs ranking high on major Korean music charts, the drop in album sales remains a concern. Industry experts remain divided. Some believe the HYBE dispute may have fractured the group’s fan base, while others acknowledge the broader market shift and urge caution in assigning blame.

NewJeans’ future performance will be closely monitored as cumulative sales figures become available. Their upcoming Japanese debut with the release of “Supernatural” on June 21st will also be a crucial indicator of their global appeal.