Did NewJeans’ poor performance “save” LE SSERAFIM from criticism?

Recently, NewJeans attended The Fact Music Awards 2024 (hereinafter TMA 2024) in Japan, where they won the Bonsang Artist of the Year award. In addition to attending the awards ceremony, the ADOR girl group performed a 7-song mashup performance, including their five hits “ETA”, “OMG”, “Ditto”, “Hype Boy”, and “Attention”, along with their latest 2 releases “Bubble Gum” and “How Sweet”. In addition, the members can also perform solo shows under the spotlight.

Over the past 2 years, NewJeans has consistently put forth considerable effort into their award show stages. Each performance is refreshed with new musical arrangements and unique choreography.

However, NewJeans has recently found themselves embroiled in the ongoing dispute between HYBE and their “creator,” Min Hee Jin, leading to public controversy and speculation that they may be dropped by their parent company. Therefore, their appearance at TMA 2024 held special significance for fans.

Despite the anticipation, NewJeans’ performance at TMA drew heavy criticism, especially during the solo parts. A video of Haerin’s solo dance and singing performance of “Attention” was widely criticized. Viewers pointed out moments where Haerin was out of breath, out of tune, and her dance expression was deemed lacking.

Additionally, the group’s performance of “Bubble Gum” and “How Sweet” was criticized for having an excessively long dance break, during which the members only appeared to be dancing with minimal vocals. The performance was deemed “disastrous” by some harsh netizens, with Haerin’s live singing becoming the focal point of criticism.

Some netizens noted that compared to other girl groups of their generation, NewJeans’ abilities were “overrated.” Some even started comparing NewJeans to LE SSERAFIM, who were previously criticized for their poor vocals at Coachella.

In particular, some stated that while LE SSERAFIM were criticized for their poor vocals, their dancing skills and stage presence were highly praised. These people also stated that LE SSERAFIM’s performances are considered more visually appealing than NewJeans, with a balanced lineup, strong concepts, and complex choreography being their strong points since their debut.

As a result, many netizens have claimed that NewJeans’ poor performance has essentially “saved” LE SSERAFIM from previous criticism.

Source: K14