Why NewJeans' OMG Became The Biggest K-pop Hit of 2023

NewJeans OMG transformed the K-pop landscape when it achieved Platinum certification in South Korea just months after its January 2023 release. The single album shattered records by selling an astonishing 1.29 million copies in South Korea alone, while simultaneously breaking the record for highest sales for a K-pop girl group single album within a day at 480,000 copies.

Before its official release, the NewJeans OMG album had already garnered 800,000 pre-orders, significantly surpassing their debut album's total sales. The catchy NewJeans OMG lyrics captivated global audiences, consequently pushing the song to number 10 on the Billboard Global 200 and number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100. Furthermore, OMG KPop dominated charts across Asia, claiming the top position in Singapore and on Billboard's Hits of the World charts for South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The music video for OMG NewJeans notably became the group's first to surpass 300 million YouTube views, cementing New Jeans OMG as a cultural phenomenon that transcended typical K-pop success metrics.

The release that changed everything

The strategic rollout of NewJeans' first single album marked a pivotal moment in their rapid rise to fame. On November 10, 2022, during Hybe Corporation's annual community press conference, CEO Jiwon Park announced that the "newjeans omg" album would be released on January 2, 2023. This announcement came just three months after their August debut, showcasing ADOR's confidence in the group's momentum.

How 'OMG' followed the success of 'Ditto'

ADOR implemented a two-phase release strategy that maximized audience anticipation. "Ditto" arrived first on December 19, 2022, as a pre-release single accompanied by two music videos labeled side A and side B. This Baltimore dance-inspired track quickly climbed charts, reaching No. 17 on the Billboard Global Excl. US chart and No. 36 on the Billboard Global 200. "Ditto" served as the perfect winter appetizer before the main course—"OMG."

"OMG" offered a more upbeat contrast to "Ditto's" subtle winter vibe. The title track mixed elements of hip-hop, R&B, UK garage and trap to create what critics described as "something colourful and springy—the aural equivalent of bounding through a club on a bright, bouncy space hopper". This sonic diversity helped NewJeans immediately dominate iTunes Top Song charts in nine countries including Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Strategic timing and winter concept

Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADOR, explicitly positioned the release as seasonal: "If 'New Jeans' was summer-themed, this will show NewJeans' winter side". This deliberate contrast helped establish the group's versatility early in their career. The winter concept permeated both tracks, with members describing "Ditto" as "a tight hug from your mom" and noting how well it complemented the season.

Pre-release buzz and teaser campaigns

ADOR meticulously orchestrated pre-release promotion, beginning with the first teasers released on December 12. A detailed promotion calendar revealed a strategic rollout of content leading to both releases. This approach maintained consistent audience engagement through December and into January.

The careful sequencing paid off spectacularly—by the second day after release, more than 580,000 copies of the "omg newjeans" single album had sold. Even more impressively, preorders reached over 800,000 copies, surpassing the total sales of their debut album "New Jeans". This remarkable achievement validated ADOR's quality-over-quantity approach that offered just two new songs but accomplished its mission "seemingly effortlessly".

Inside the sound: What makes 'OMG' unique

The sonic architecture of "newjeans omg" reveals a meticulously crafted blend of musical influences that set it apart in the crowded K-pop landscape. Unlike many high-energy productions dominating the charts, OMG instead embraces a carefully restrained approach that proved equally captivating.

Genre fusion: R&B, hip-hop, UK garage

At its core, "omg newjeans" blends R&B, hip-hop, and pop, creating what Joshua Minsoo Kim of Pitchfork described as "soft, minimalist R&B". The track ingeniously fuses hip-hop percussion with trap rhythms and a distinctive UK garage-inflected groove. This cross-pollination of club genres creates a sound that feels simultaneously familiar yet fresh. Rolling Stone aptly characterized it as a throwback to 1990s R&B with "21st-century appeal" brought by its modern synth work.

Minimalist production and nostalgic elements

"New jeans omg" opens with plucked, staccato synth chords that immediately establish its distinctive sonic signature. As the song progresses, skittering cowbells and anchoring percussion in the pre-chorus create a hypnotic rhythm. Perhaps most impressive is how the production remains deliberately understrained—the track employs vocal chopping and layered harmonies that add texture without overwhelming the composition. This "less is more" approach creates a deceptively simple sound that reveals additional layers with repeated listens.

Lyric themes of obsession and longing

Thematically, "newjeans omg lyrics" explore the intensity of young infatuation. Member Hanni, who contributed to the lyrics, explained she drew inspiration from "high school teen dramas where the girls are at their lockers and they're talking about a guy they like". The lyrics capture the all-consuming nature of early romance with lines like "No I can never let him go/ I only think of you 24/ I'm a lucky girl I know, I know". However, beneath this surface lies subtle melancholy, particularly when Hanni sings "I was really hoping that he will come through," suggesting a one-sided connection.

Contrast with 'Ditto' and its platonic tone

Though released as companion tracks, "omg kpop" offers a distinctly different energy than "Ditto." Whereas "Ditto" embodies Baltimore club music with ethereal qualities, "OMG" presents a more upbeat alternative. Teen Vogue noted how "OMG" "resuscitates the R&B sound that permeates through the girls' first EP" while introducing new trap elements. Rather than a deviation, both songs represent complementary facets of NewJeans' evolving sonic identity—one dreamy and introspective, the other bouncy and affirmative.

The music video that sparked conversation

Beyond its infectious melody, the newjeans omg music video captivated audiences with its intricate storytelling and controversial themes. The nearly seven-minute visual masterpiece directed by Shin Woo-seok of Dolphiners Films became a cultural talking point almost immediately after its January 2023 release.

Symbolism and narrative structure

The video unfolds in a psychiatric hospital where each NewJeans member portrays a patient with unique delusions. Hanni introduces herself as Siri (Apple's virtual assistant), Minji believes she's a doctor despite being a patient, Hyein sees herself as a fairytale princess, Haerin thinks she's a cat, and Danielle—the only one seemingly aware of reality—insists they are K-pop idols. This narrative structure creates an intentionally disorienting experience as the settings shift between the sterile mental institution and colorful performance spaces, blurring the line between reality and fantasy.

References to 'I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK'

Film enthusiasts quickly recognized the video's homage to director Park Chan-wook's 2006 romantic comedy I'm A Cyborg, But That's OK. This deliberate reference added layers of meaning for viewers familiar with the film's themes of identity and perception. Additionally, the video featured a cameo from actor Kim Joo-hun, known for his role in another mental health-themed K-drama, It's Okay to Not Be Okay.

Fan theories and open-ended storytelling

Following release, fans developed numerous interpretations about the video's meaning. Some viewers connected it with their previous single "Ditto," noting shared uniforms and suggesting a continuous narrative between both videos. Others saw the hospital setting as a metaphor for parasocial relationships between idols and fans. The members themselves encouraged this open interpretation, with Minji noting how the storyline connected to their fandom "Bunnies".

Controversy around mental health portrayal

Despite its creative storytelling, the video sparked significant debate about its portrayal of mental illness. The post-credits scene showing a critical commenter being led away by Minji (in doctor role) saying "Let's go" particularly divided audiences. Many Korean viewers praised this as a clever response to critics, while others—particularly international audiences—criticized the video for using mental illness as an aesthetic and implying critics were mentally ill. This controversy ultimately highlighted cultural differences in mental health discourse across global audiences.

How social media turned 'OMG' into a phenomenon

Social media platforms played a crucial role in catapulting newjeans omg from a successful track to a global cultural phenomenon. What began as a catchy song quickly evolved into a multi-platform movement that transcended traditional music consumption.

TikTok trends and CapCut templates

Initially, the song found its digital home on TikTok where a user named @Dels created a transition video template featuring omg newjeans lyrics passing along the screen with a retro aesthetic. After becoming available on January 8, 2023, this template accumulated an impressive 1.1 million videos within just one month. CapCut, TikTok's official video editing app, became the canvas for creativity as users leveraged its advanced features—background removal, image upscaling, and AI color correction—to create personalized versions of the trend. Soon after, numerous specialized templates emerged, including velocity effects, slow motion edits, and jersey club remixes.

Celebrity participation and virality

The trend gained substantial momentum when mainstream celebrities embraced it. Actor Ryan Reynolds surprised fans by participating in the OMG TikTok trend, with his video amassing 3.4 million views and 757,000 likes in just three days. Similarly, talk show host Jimmy Fallon appeared in an edited video that garnered 1.7 million views in two weeks. Interestingly, even transportation services joined the movement—the San Francisco Bay Area train service created their own version using a fake audio of "OMG" sung by Drake, reaching 1 million views in a single day.

Fan engagement and meme culture

Fan creativity further propelled new jeans omg into viral territory through memes and dance challenges. K-pop group SEVENTEEN BSS participated in the official OMG dance challenge alongside NewJeans, while countless fans created their own interpretations. The meme culture surrounding the song expanded to include:

Stylized edits of fictional characters like Breaking Bad's Walter White
Educational content like the "APUSH Amendments Review Parody"
Dance challenges tagged with #omgchallenge and #kpop

Ultimately, this social media ecosystem transformed omg kpop into more than just a song—it became a creative template for global self-expression.

From charts to certifications: The numbers behind the hit

The commercial success of newjeans omg manifested in unprecedented chart dominance and record-breaking sales figures. The song's performance across global music metrics established NewJeans as a commercial powerhouse despite their rookie status.

Billboard, Oricon, and Circle chart rankings

Newjeans omg achieved remarkable international chart success, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Global 200. In North America, the track reached number 74 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 35 on the Canadian Hot 100. Across Asia, the song topped charts in Singapore and secured the number one position on Billboard's Hits of the World charts for South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Most impressively, omg newjeans made history on Japan's Oricon chart. According to the January 13 update, "OMG" topped the prestigious Weekly Single Rankings with 56,560 points. This achievement marked a significant milestone as NewJeans became the first K-pop girl group debuting after 2016 to reach this position. On its first day of release in Japan, the single sold 20,638 copies.

Sales milestones and streaming records

According to Circle Chart, the newjeans omg album sold 1,013,462 copies by January 27, 2023. This milestone came just three and a half weeks after release, making NewJeans the seventh K-pop girl group in history to achieve a million-selling album and the fastest group to do so. Accordingly, the album nearly became a half-million seller on its first day with over 480,000 copies sold.

Streaming performance proved equally impressive. As of April 2023, omg kpop had amassed over 800 million streams on Spotify, becoming the group's first song to pass this threshold. Subsequently, the track maintained strong chart positions across Korea, Japan, and beyond, solidifying its global appeal.

Album versions and collector appeal

The new jeans omg physical release strategy undoubtedly contributed to its commercial success. The album was released in multiple collectible formats including six Message Card versions (individual members plus group version) and three Weverse versions with the same outbox but different photocard sets. Essentially, this collector-focused approach helped drive physical sales, with approximately 720,000 traditional physical albums sold while nearly 290,000 came from Weverse album sales.

All purchases counted toward major music charts including Hanteo, Circle (Gaon), and Billboard, ultimately cementing the single's position as one of K-pop's greatest commercial achievements of 2023.