K-pop girl group NewJeans tease potential four-member comeback
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NewJeans members (seated, from left) Minji, Haerin, Hanni and Hyein (lying down) in the group’s latest promotional campaign.
PHOTO: NEWJEANS
- NewJeans teased a potential comeback as a four-member group with videos featuring Haerin, Hyein, Hanni, and Minji, but Danielle was absent after leaving the group in 2025.
- The group’s contract issues with agency Ador continue, with Minji's status still unclear, while Haerin, Hyein, and Hanni have returned to the agency.
- The July 22 content celebrates NewJeans’ fourth anniversary and hints at future activities, though official plans remain unconfirmed pending ongoing discussions.
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K-pop girl group NewJeans appear to be one step closer to a comeback, but as a four-member group, after a series of videos was posted online at midnight on July 22 in South Korea (11pm on July 21, Singapore time).
The series of videos, titled 2026 Summer of NewJeans and featuring Haerin, Hyein, Hanni and Minji, was posted on the group’s official YouTube channel, coinciding with the fourth anniversary of their debut.
One clip featuring the four members has already garnered more than 1.1 million views as at 10.30am on July 22.
New photos were also posted on their official website and Instagram account.
Notably absent was the group’s fifth member, Danielle, who was part of the global K-pop sensation that originally debuted as a quintet.
She left the group late in 2025 after her contract was terminated by their agency Ador following a prolonged legal dispute.
Minji’s status with the group had also remained unresolved for months, with the agency’s most recent position described only as “under discussion”.
Speculation surfaced in April that the group might be preparing for a comeback as a trio after Hyein, Haerin and Hanni were spotted in Denmark without Minji for a music production.
However, the latest content release is fuelling speculation that Minji may be moving towards a return to the agency, though nothing has been confirmed despite her appearance in the new promotional materials.
The quintet had in November 2024 announced they were terminating their contracts with Ador, citing company “mistreatment”.
But a court later sided with the agency in both an injunction and the main lawsuit, effectively restricting the group’s independent activities.
Following the ruling that validated their contracts, Haerin, Hyein and Hanni returned to Ador in late 2025.
Videos and photos released on July 22 commemorate the fourth anniversary of the group’s debut.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM NEWJEANS_OFFICIAL/YOUTUBE
The new content released on July 22 marks the four members’ first time appearing together on camera since the release of their Japanese debut single album, Supernatural, in June 2024.
Ador said the videos were made for fans to celebrate the group’s fourth anniversary, adding that plans for future activities will be announced once talks are completed.
Meanwhile, former member Danielle also posted on Instagram on the group’s debut anniversary, with the caption: “Life gets cloudy sometimes, but the light always finds its way back in.”
NewJeans debuted on July 22, 2022, with the instant hit track Attention. Best known for their Y2K-inspired aesthetic and a fresh sound that departed from typical K-pop convention, the group found immediate success with other chart-toppers, including Hype Boy, Ditto and Super Shy.
The global K-pop sensation have charted numerous times on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the first girl group in 12 years to win Artist of the Year at South Korea’s MAMA Awards in 2023, after 2NE1 in 2010, and Girls’ Generation in 2011.
