Marking their 4th anniversary since debut, NewJeans has released new content.

As this is the first group content presented by NewJeans after halting activities for about 1 year and 4 months due to an exclusive contract dispute with their agency ADOR, fans warmly welcomed it as virtually a signal of their return. Meanwhile, the industry has offered various interpretations regarding the so-called "NewJeans-ness" created by the new production team.

The new video, featuring four members—Minji, Hanni, Haerin, and Hyein—captures the members gathering one by one on a summer night and holding hands.

While it received favorable reviews for melting in NewJeans' symbolic rabbits and a summery seasonal vibe to continue their signature refreshing sentiment, fans welcomed their return, saying, "The NewJeans-like mood is back" and "Just seeing the four of them together is delightful."

On the other hand, critical views also emerged.

Designer Park Shi-young, who designed posters for films such as "Mother," "The Wailing," and "The Face Reader," criticized the content on his social media, calling it "tacky" and remarking, "What kind of sentiment is this, it's not the era of Gayo Top Ten," while adding, "Talentless people just rode the coattails and scooped everything up."

He further expressed regret over the four-member system excluding Danielle and the overall quality of the content, saying, "What do you mean by four members of NewJeans? It's like 'Attack on Titan' with 'Attack' missing."

Director Shin Hee-won, who directed NewJeans' music videos for "Attention," "Hurt," and "Super Shy," left a short post on social media reading "The power of the director."

Director Shin is a figure who built NewJeans' early visual identity while working on multiple projects with former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin.

As Shin also publicly supported former CEO Min last year amid her legal dispute with HYBE, some in the industry interpreted this latest post as a message targeting the new production team.

Creative Director Kim Na-yeon's name was listed in the credits for this content.

She has worked alongside former CEO Min since their days at SM Entertainment and has remained at ADOR to oversee NewJeans' visuals following former CEO Min's departure.

This video drew even more attention because it goes beyond simple 4th-anniversary commemorative content, serving as the first outcome unveiled by NewJeans without Min Hee-jin.

While it has become a signal flare announcing a fresh start for fans, what the "NewJeans-ness" shaped under the new production team will ultimately look like is expected to be re-evaluated through future official comeback content.

(Reported by Kang Kyung-youn | Video by Jung Yong-hee | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News | Video Source: NewJeans Official YouTube Channel)