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On February 3, 2025, NewJeans' Hanni made headlines online after she shared Chappell Roan's Grammy speech on artist violation in the music industry.
On February 2, 2025, during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Chappell Roan was honored with the Best New Artist award. In her acceptance speech, Roan advocated for better treatment of emerging artists by record labels, emphasizing the need for livable wages and healthcare provisions.
She shared her experience of being signed as a minor and the challenges she faced after her label dropped her, including the struggle to find employment and afford health insurance during the pandemic.
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"If my label would have prioritized artists’ health, I could have been provided care by a company I was giving everything to...So, record labels needs to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage, health insurance, and protection. Labels, we got you. But do you got us?," Roan shared.
NewJeans member Hanni shared Roan's speech on the group's Instagram story (@jeanzforfree). Many fans drew parallels between Roan's experiences and the challenges faced by NewJeans, which is currently involved in contractual disputes with its label, ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE Corporation. One fan tweeted:
"And they still call them spoiled brats for speaking up f**k armys and f**k hybe stans"
The public support for the group intensified following Hanni's endorsement of Roan's speech.
"I listen to chappell roan and newjeans for a reason. Love these queens for speaking their truth," a fan wrote.
"I know hanni will be so emotional about her speech," another fan said.
"I hope industry will treat you well newjeans," another fan added.
However, some stated that NewJeans has received "expensive apartments to personal styling rooms " since its debut in 2022. Fans highlighted that HYBE invested a "lot of money" in the group.
"I just knew tokkies were gonna jump on this saying it related to newjeans like you guys did with the vcha member lawsuit like it not the same at all the new jeans girls have been given everything since their from expensive apartments to personal styling room to their salaries," a fan wrote.
"They were given everything when they debuted lol Hybe invested a lot of money in them," another fan said.
"Korean kpop industry is in dire need of changing of the guard...these dinosaurs like KCMA and KEMA fights so hard to keep the status quo," another fan stated.
More about NewJeans and ADOR's ongoing contract feud
In recent months, the contractual dispute between NewJeans and their management company, ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE Corporation, has escalated.
NewJeans debuted in July 2022 and rapidly ascended to prominence, achieving significant milestones such as topping the Billboard 200 and securing high-profile brand collaborations.
However, internal tensions surfaced in mid-2024, primarily centered around Min Hee-jin, the group's producer and former ADOR CEO. In April 2024, HYBE initiated an audit of ADOR amid allegations against Min Hee-jin, which led to her dismissal by August 2024.
In response, the group publicly demanded Min Hee-jin's reinstatement during a surprise YouTube livestream in September 2024, expressing dissatisfaction with the management's decision.
The situation intensified on November 28, 2024, when the girl group announced their decision to terminate their exclusive contracts with ADOR, citing allegations of mistreatment and breaches of contract clauses related to artist protection.
The group detailed instances of workplace harassment and unfair treatment. Member Hanni testified before South Korea's National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee in August 2024 about the challenges they faced under HYBE's management.
In response to the group's announcement, ADOR refuted the allegations and maintained that the contracts remained valid. On December 3, 2024, ADOR filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court to confirm the validity of the exclusive contracts, asserting that such agreements cannot be unilaterally terminated based solely on one party's claims.
The group countered by emphasizing that they had already generated profits exceeding ADOR and HYBE's initial investments, challenging the justification for continuing the contracts. The group also accused ADOR of unethical and inhumane harassment following their decision to terminate the contracts.
The Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) and the Korea Entertainment Producers' Association (KEPA) have expressed support for ADOR and HYBE, arguing that unilateral contract terminations could undermine industry principles and investments.
Additionally, HYBE's market capitalization reportedly dropped by over $420 million following NewJeans' announcement of their intent to leave ADOR, reflecting investor concerns about the potential impact on the company's future prospects.
As of January 2025, the legal battle between the girl group and ADOR remains unresolved. In January 2025, ADOR filed an injunction to prevent the group from independently signing advertising contracts while the dispute is ongoing.
Meanwhile, the group took steps to assert their independence, including establishing a new Instagram account, jeanzforfree, separate from the one managed by ADOR.
