South Korean pop group NewJeans is collaborating with Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami for the visuals to their upcoming music video.
Key points:
- Min Hee Jin, the CEO of NewJeans’ label Ador, shared pictures of Murakami’s work for the “Right Now” music video on Instagram on Wednesday.
- In some of the photos, the renowned Japanese artist can be seen sketching the NewJeans members Hanni, Haerin, Minji, Danielle and Hyein into cartoon characters that resemble his famous art style.
- “Right Now” is one of the tracks included in NewJeans’ Japanese debut single “Supernatural,” which will be released on June 21.
The details:
- The characters and art style are showcased in a music video teaser for “Right Now,” shared on Hybe’s YouTube account on Tuesday.
- The video starts with the K-pop group portrayed in the style of the “Powerpuff Girls” before they encounter a Murakami-style plant. Shortly after, they all transform into Murakami-designed characters with big shiny eyes.
- Besides his world-renowned artworks, Murakami is also known for his collaboration with other fashion brands, such as Supreme, and celebrities.
- He also previously expressed his admiration for NewJeans during his appearance at his “Takashi Murakami: MurakamiZombie” exhibition held at the Busan Museum of Art in 2023, telling the attendees, “I am a huge fan of NewJeans. I would be grateful to meet them.”
Catching up:
- The teaser and pictures come amid tension between labels Ador and Hybe over issues including creative control, corporate governance, cultural sensitivity and legal challenges.
- The feud began after Hybe launched an audit of Ador, a subsidiary of Hybe, and issued a call for Min’s resignation on April 22, accusing the company of seeking outside investments so it could break away. The two sides then went back and forth with statements addressing each others’ allegations on April 23 and 24.
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