The K-pop group NewJeans has unveiled its new name, NJZ.
On Friday, the five members—Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein—shared the exciting news on its Instagram account, jeansforfree, writing, “We’re thrilled to kick off an amazing journey with our new name, NJZ, starting in 2025. Stay tuned!”
Along with this announcement, the group updated its Instagram handle to njz_official and shared stylish photos to match its fresh new identity.
The group revealed its new name in partnership with Complex, which welcomed them as “our new headliners” and confirmed that NewJeans will perform at ComplexCon Hong Kong 2025, which will take place next year.
On January 23, NewJeans again took to social media to declare, “We have absolutely no intention of returning to ADOR and HYBE.” The group also announced a two-day campaign inviting fans to suggest a temporary new group name and encouraging participation in the comments.
HYBE and its label ADOR stated in response, “ADOR maintains that the exclusive contract remains valid, and we are diligently following legal procedures.” The agency added, “We regret that the members are attempting independent activities, such as soliciting a new group name, before receiving a legal judgment. This could potentially be considered a serious breach of contract.”
In the meantime, NewJeans held an emergency press conference on November 28 last year, announcing the group would leave ADOR due to unresolved issues with the agency. The group confirmed its exclusive contracts would be terminated at midnight on November 29, 2024, and planned to pursue independent activities. The group also expressed its desire to continue working with Min Hee Jin, the former CEO of ADOR.
Since then, the members have continued to move forward independently, launching new social media accounts on December 14 last year.
In December, ADOR announced that it had filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court to confirm the validity of its exclusive contract with NewJeans. The group has also expressed its intent to pursue legal action, and the dispute between the two parties is still ongoing.