NewJeans releases a short yet worthy singles album

NewJeans releases a short yet worthy singles album

Erika Lee

After releasing their R&B album last year, NewJeans made a reappearance last month with their new winter singles album, which includes “OMG” and “Ditto.” Despite being only two songs, the quality of it compensates for the shortage of tunes. Their songs have an upbeat tune along with a vague feeling of nostalgia to keep listeners addicted. 

Many claim that their song video’s similarity to the 2009 girl group f(x) is what makes them feel nostalgic. In addition to the visuals, their rather eerie, emotional vocals set them apart from the competition.

After selling over 700,000 copies of their recent album, NewJeans starts off 2023 with a bang. Compared to their first, the tracks on their current album, particularly “Ditto,” have a calmer pace than their past songs like “Attention,” which had a bright and cheery vibe to it.

In “Ditto,” the song brings the audience a relaxing tune along with a music video that brings people back to memory lane. The cinematography reminds many of their childhood in a dream-like way. Moreover, the music itself is more lo-fi than R&B. The energy isn’t high, but it isn’t low either. Instead, it has a mellow energy, with a slow vocal melody that supports it.

For “OMG,” it has a more upbeat rhythm compared to “Ditto,” having NewJean’s visuals more apparent in the music video. It has a nostalgic retro sound, but I feel that Ditto had done a better job representing the feeling of looking back at the past when compared. Overall, I think the beats are similar in some ways, so I would put it below “Ditto” as I would have wished for a more creative rhythm.