NewJeans made their highly anticipated return with six brand new summer hits on July 21. Get Up is the fourth-gen girl group’s second EP and comes almost one year after their debut. Despite being a mini-album, Get Up features three title tracks and six official music videos thus far. It’s being promoted in a similar style to their debut EP, with “Super Shy,” “ETA,” and “Cool With You” taking the forefront this time around. NewJeans maintains a chill vibe and stays true to their signature style while also experimenting with some new genres such as Latin hip-hop and Europop.

For the opening, self-titled track, NewJeans teamed up with The Powerpuff Girls in celebration of the show’s twenty-fifth anniversary. In the official music video, the girls are transformed into animated versions of themselves, drawn in the same style as the ‘90s classic television series. The track contains Jersey club beats with catchy lyrics about returning with a fresh, new style.

The album then transitions into “Super Shy,” another mix of UK garage and Jersey club, staying true to NewJeans’ coined sound. It’s relaxed, with an addictive beat and repetitive chorus that will be stuck in your head after just one listen. The group went global to film the official music video, hopping on a flight to Portugal for a backdrop of bright colors and beautiful European views. The five members then headed to Barcelona for the following two title tracks, “ETA” and “Cool With You.” 

“ETA” is an empowering song that tells the story of a toxic relationship. It’s told from a friend's point of view, urging the listener to stop wasting their time on someone who doesn’t deserve it. NewJeans offers a supportive hand, promising, “We can go wherever you like,” overtop an upbeat track. The music video was filmed in Spain as a collaboration with Apple. The entire video was shot on the new iPhone 14 Pro and follows the members to a pool party where they catch a friend’s boyfriend with another girl. 

NewJeans may be a rookie group, but they’ve more than proved that hard work pays off. It’s evident in the two-part series of music videos featuring “Cool With You” and “Get Up.” They follow household name Jung Hoyeon in a Cupid-inspired love story with a tragic ending. Hoyeon plays Cupid as she makes people fall in love with just a single glance, the whole time longing for love herself. Unfortunately, she remains invisible to the world around her. The members of NewJeans watch everything unfold from afar, the only ones able to see Hoyeon and recognize her pain. She is seen admiring a famous painting that depicts a god who falls in love with a human, and you can see the longing behind her eyes. One day, she finally gets her chance. Hoyeon meets a human man and falls in love at first sight. When a miracle happens and he can see her too, the couple becomes inseparable. However, this moment of joy doesn’t last for long. Hoyeon is on her way to meet her lover when Tony Leung, one of Asia’s most famous actors, inevitably intervenes. He makes Hoyeon invisible once again with just a single glance, and the man she once loved passes by her with his sights set on another woman. Side B of the official music video ends with “Get Up,” a short and sweet R&B track that transitions us into the final song of the mini album.

NewJeans tries their hand at Europop in “ASAP,” a song that leaves listeners wanting more. The teaser trailer for this song also features a new fairy-pixie concept, with all members donning long blonde hair. Their vocals fit the genre well, sounding light and airy overtop a repeated line of, “tik tok tik tok.” Could the group be moving on from their vibrant Y2K aesthetic? We’ll have to stay tuned for the next album to find out.

Get Up is available for streaming on all platforms, and be sure to check out the official music videos linked above!

Edited by Diana