When NewJeans put out their single album OMG after the unprecedented success of their eponymous debut EP, the songs felt more like a continuation than a deviation in their repertoire. That's the case again with their second official EP Get Up as NewJeans continues to build out their discography. Once more, the six-track offering finds the quintet in garage territory, but with a slightly different edge. While "Ditto" and "OMG" felt distinctly wintery, the tracks featured on Get Up feel like the very definition of summer.
The project’s opener is "New Jeans," which was unveiled as a pre-release with a video spotlighting their partnership with the Powerpuff Girls. Enlisting Jinsu Park as the main composer and producer once again and with further creative contributions by Danish R&B maverick Erika de Casier, the quasi-jingly number looks to UK garage and Jersey club to inspire a percussion-led soundscape, rounded off with a simple yet catchy hook and impeccable mixing that makes demo-esque layers feel maximalist.
One of the most interesting elements on the track — and one that's easy to miss but almost insidious once you notice — is a ticking sound in the last ten seconds that immediately evokes the image of a clock. The track also features Haerin's first writing credit, with lyrics that feel both prophetic ("Look at us, we go on & on again") and nostalgic, with a subtle 2000s callback to Outkast's now-ubiquitous "So Fresh, So Clean."
Next, it's the trifecta of lead singles — "Super Shy," "ETA," and "Cool With You" — which seems to have become a NewJeans trademark. "Super Shy" and "ETA" are the group's second and third takes on Baltimore dance music after "Ditto."
Also like "Ditto," “Super Shy" is a coy confession song, but rather than urging the other person to take the first step, it paints a painfully self-aware picture. "I'm all nervous 'cause you're on my mind all the time, I wanna tell you but I'm super shy, super shy," the girls repeat throughout the song.
Sonically, the track leans heavily on repetition, mixing muted skittering breakbeats with synths to create a bouncy line that ebbs and flows throughout. Practically everything disappears before the chorus and is built back up in layers – first the synth, then percussion and snaps, then background chimes that culminate with playful vocal choppings towards the end. Vocally, the quintet shows a new side with sped-up soft raps in the first verse.
"ETA," which stands for Estimated Time of Arrival, also focuses on mellow melodies but kicks things up a notch with choppy air horns and even more scurried drum breaks, which make for a funkier rendering. NewJeans first unveiled "ETA" during their recent Bunnies Camp fan meeting in Seoul, giving fans a peek of what to expect in terms of choreography and performance, but, as much as their stage presence sells it, the studio version is far more layered and impressive than its live counterpart.
"Cool With You" is last, but certainly not least, in the title track streak. Firmly rooted in UK garage, this is undoubtedly where NewJeans' vocals shine the brightest, both via individual runs and beautifully layered harmonies. Much like "Hurt" from their debut EP, "Cool With You" is going to be an excellent marker to pinpoint the members' vocal growth, which already shows significant progress, especially in the case of maknae Hyein.
"Cool With You" is a standout vocally and visually. In the accompanying music video, NewJeans return to the Side A and Side B formula they introduced in "Ditto," with videos once again directed by Shin Wooseok and featuring A-list talent. Shot in Barcelona, this time around the honor goes to Squid Game breakout star Hoyeon Jung and Hong Kongese legend Tony Leung.
Both in Side B of the music video and on the album, "Cool With You" segues seamlessly into "Get Up." Ironically, the song that gives name to the EP is only an interlude, clocking in at just under 40 seconds. The dreamy mini ballad takes the R&B route with steady snaps and atmospheric synths as a simple background, spotlighting the quintet's angelic and airy harmonies. There's not much to say about "Get Up" other than it should have been longer.
The project ends on a high note with "ASAP," a sound that has been reverberating across TikTok for a bit more than just a minute, unlike what the lyrics claim. By far the poppier offering of the bunch, it's impossible to escape its catchiness after just one listen, thanks to syncopated synths and bubbly percussion. If you use headphones, the spatial audio goes around your head to almost literally tickle your brain, micking the ticking sound of a clock while tying the project together perfectly.
Since their debut in 2022, NewJeans have never been ones to do things by the book, and Get Up is no exception. However, more than actively trying to challenge norms, the recognizable common elements with past NewJeans releases prove that the quintet is writing their own playbook. Even if some shared elements are easily noticeable, NewJeans are also slowly but surely charting new territory — dipping their toes into storytelling a bit further, going back to frequent collaborators but expanding the circle with more names and member contributions, and introducing new partnerships, which results in a cohesive and lucrative collection that's bound to be everywhere. The NewJeans universe is only just beginning. Get Up is short and sweet, but that's NewJeans' entire deal, and it has been proven to keep us wanting more.
