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'NewJeans fan' Takashi Murakami collaborates with group on 'Right Now'
A scene captured from the teaser video of NewJeans' upcoming Japanese debut single, "Right Now," features characters created by Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami. Captured from YouTube
By Pyo Kyung-min
K-pop sensation NewJeans has joined forces with renowned Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami for the band's upcoming debut single in Japan, slated for June 21 release.
On Wednesday, the teaser for the music video of "Right Now," a track featured in the group's Japanese debut single "Supernatural," was unveiled on HYBE Labels' official YouTube channel.
The teaser includes an appearance by the five characters representing each member of NewJeans, originally conceived in collaboration with the popular American animation, "Powerpuff Girls." During their journey, the five cartoon figures encounter Murakami's iconic rainbow-colored flower character and undergo a transformation into new characters designed by the artist himself.
Amidst ongoing tensions with HYBE, Ador CEO and NewJeans director Min Hee-jin also shared the teaser video and behind-the-scenes insights into the collaboration process with Murakami on her Instagram account.
Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami sketches NewJeans characters for the group's upcoming Japanese debut single "Right Now." Captured from Murakami's Instagram
Murakami, renowned as one of Japan's most beloved contemporary pop artists, boasts a track record of collaborating with various fashion brands and global pop stars such as Billie Eilish, incorporating his imaginative artworks and signature flower character.
Notably, Murakami has publicly expressed his admiration for NewJeans in past media appearances.
During an encounter with Korean audiences at last year's "Takashi Murakami: MurakamiZombie" exhibition held at the Busan Museum of Art, he openly emphasized, "I am a huge fan of NewJeans. I would be grateful to meet them."
NewJeans is gearing up to release its latest album, "How Sweet," on May 24. The music video for the album's pre-release track, "Bubble Gum," garnered acclaim after its Saturday release, amassing over 19.8 million views on YouTube as of Thursday noon.
The group is also preparing to debut its single in Japan, titled "Supernatural," in June. This release will feature four tracks, including "Right Now." Following the release, NewJeans plans to host a large fan meeting at Japan's Tokyo Dome on June 26 and 27.