Get Up

Newjeans short but sweet EP provides a refreshing new spin on Kpop music that recalls the breezy R&B tunes of the 2000s

It was evident, even during their initial debut, that Newjeans possessed a very unique and identifiable style that directly contrasts the loud and sometimes even abrasive instrumentals that are practically omnipresent in K-pop music. Their arrival at the music scene with selections such as “Hype Boy” and “Attention” took the world by storm, by flawlessly fusing modern K-pop sensibilities with 2000s R&B influences. Their minimalistic, retro-inspired sound was further polished and refined in their 2022 EP ‘Get Up’, which was an effortless mix of R&B and bubblegum dance-pop, creating a cohesive record with nods to 90s and 00s R&B and pop divas such as Britney Spears. The record includes infectious, joyous numbers such as ‘Super Shy’ and ‘ETA’, and more moody R&B selections such as ‘Cool With You’ and the short interlude ‘Get Up’. Newjeans’ soft and sweet vocals, coupled with their throwback sound likened the work of PinkPantheress, with both acts bringing a more stripped-back style of bubblegum dance-pop back into mainstream music. Though there are moments during the listen that leaves you asking for more, if their first EP established them as a ‘one to watch’, then this EP undeniably proves that they are ‘one to stay’.