When a man in the audience yelled “chilli crab” at NewJeans during their whirlwind 20-minute appearance at Nike’s newly opened, three-storey flagship store in Orchard Road on Feb 3, member Hyein was so visibly shocked by the volume, she took a step back.
But the fans cannot be blamed for their enthusiasm in recommending the popular K-pop girl group some local cuisine. It was, after all, their first performance in Singapore.
The quintet – comprising Minji, Danielle, Hanni, Hyein and Haerin – kicked off their four-song set and question-and-answer session with the catchy Ditto.
he girls, aged 15 to 19, stuck to their trendy Y2K aesthetic in Nike athleisure wear and Air Max shoes. They also performed the songs New Jeans and ETA, which got fans chanting along to its lyric, “What’s your ETA?”, before ending with the viral hit OMG.
When asked about their first impressions of Singapore by event host and K-pop artiste Sorn, Vietnamese-Australian member Hanni says: “I think because it’s a little chilly in South Korea right now, the weather (here) is just so warm and nice.”
Their performance was part of a closed-door event for 75 Nike members, who were selected via a contest on the Nike app, and other invited guests of the brand. The contest called on participants to share why they are the biggest NewJeans fans.
The event included a post-performance shopping experience for attendees to get first dibs on Nike’s new line of shoes, the Air Max 90 LV8.
Attendees also got the chance to personalise select items purchased in-store with a bespoke set of Nike By You x NewJeans graphics. These included apparel and accessories such as T-shirts, tote bags and caps.
Mr Hazim Suhaimi, a 24-year-old who is awaiting enrolment for his work-study diploma, was spotted purchasing the tote bags.
He says: “It was fantastic to be so up-close to the group and to be able to see my bias (favourite member) Hanni. They performed my favourite song ETA as well.”
Ms Shreya Budha, a 19-year-old polytechnic student who registered to become a Nike member just for the contest, was another fan who scored a slot.
She says: “I’ve been listening to them for quite a while and their music helped me through some tough times with its catchy vibes.”
Five-year-old Belle Nunis even got a high five from Hanni during their performance. The little girl came to the event with her parents and decorated her NewJeans lightstick – which is in the shape of a bunny – with a bow.
NewJeans hits the stage for the first time in Singapore. Stay tuned for more exclusive content on #VogueSingapore 🐰 pic.twitter.com/9gD9aK35sm
— Vogue Singapore (@voguesingapore) February 3, 2024
