Former Korean pop group NewJeans just rebranded their name to “NJZ”!?!? The group hasn’t come out with a statement on what the name means, but many, including me, infer it’s an acronym of their previous name. This would make sense since some would call them “NJZ.” If this rumor is correct, then I’m guessing the group didn’t want to rebrand their whole name.
The reason why NJZ changed its name is because it had legal disputes with its old agency, ADOR. Back in November 2024, NJZ announced publicly they were terminating their contract. They soon accused ADOR of mistreatment, manipulation, and bullying which isn’t uncommon in the K-pop industry. After this announcement, ADOR denied these allegations and pursued legal action against NJZ. NJZ later said their contract was no longer enforceable.
Since the group’s debut, their creative director, Min Hee-Jin, has always been with them. Which is why NJZ wants to keep working with her. This sparked some controversy with fans believing Min Hee-Jin was the reason for the group’s disbandment. Min Hee-Jin also had some conflict with the label. On February 6th, 2025, NewJeans officially announced their new group name to NJZ for legal reasons, since they don’t own the name anymore.
As you now know, NJZ is not under the label ADOR anymore, the group is signed to Geffen Records. Geffen Records is in the United States and is owned by Universal Music Group. One of the most well-known K-pop groups in the world, BTS, is also under this label.
When NJZ announced their departure from ADOR I remember being devastated. This may sound dramatic, but NJZ was my first ever K-pop group. I’m so happy and grateful that they are back as a full group, though there is a slight problem.
Many fans wonder if the merchandise they bought is useless now since the group isn’t named NewJeans anymore.
NJZ not only gained popularity online because of the whole incident, but also because of a small trend. The trend may have been known for a while now, but I have begun to see it more frequently during the band’s legal issues. The trend is to post a picture or video of NJZ and caption it “protect our idols.” “#ProtectOurIdols” has been around the K-pop industry for decades now. Essentially, meaning please care for our idols and don’t let them get hurt. K-pop idols get massive amounts of hate and the reasons can vary: relationship rumors, supposed rude behavior, etc…
Fans and I are ecstatic to hear that NJZ will be coming out with new music this year, but just recently there has been speculation that ADOR is trying to delay NJZ upcoming performance. On February 19, NJZ PR Instagram, run by their parents, shared a post criticizing HYBE’s founder, Bang Si Hyuk. It is rumored that he tried to stop NJZ future performance in Hong Kong for ComplexCon 2025. Of course HYBE proceeded to deny this rumor.
At the end of the day, NJZ is a group of friends trying to accomplish their dreams, but their old company will not stop coming after them with lawsuits and delays.
NJZ music is long and awaited. I’m certain the music will be a hit!
