NewJeans faces plagiarism allegations over new concept and logo

NJZ recently introduced their new group name and logo via their official Instagram account.

The K-pop girl group formerly known as NewJeans has officially rebranded as NJZ, marking a fresh start following their contract dispute with ADOR. However, their new logo and concept have sparked controversy, with some netizens accusing them of plagiarising aespa's aesthetic.

NJZ recently introduced their new group name and logo via their official Instagram account. The logo, featuring a scratched, textured metallic design with chromatic metal elements, was revealed alongside teaser images for their upcoming performance at ComplexCon 2025 in Hong Kong.

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A post shared by NJZ (@njz_official)

While fans celebrated NJZ’s bold and mature new look, some K-pop enthusiasts noticed similarities between NJZ’s logo and aespa’s signature metallic branding.

The allegations quickly ignited debate online, with some accusing NJZ of imitating aespa, while others defended the group.

"Seems like a knock-off of aespa," wrote a netizen. "The logo doesn’t look too good. The kids are pretty and stylish, but this seems uninspired," remarked another. "I don’t know… the metallic aesthetic is just too similar," noted a user.

Fans of the band rallied in support of the new branding. "Are all grey logos aespa now? Both groups have completely different vibes!" commented a fan. "It’s just a metal texture; it doesn’t mean they copied anyone," defended another. "People need to stop nitpicking. NJZ is doing their own thing," wrote another fan.

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The name change was forced due to licensing and copyright issues, following their departure from HYBE and ADOR. While NJZ has yet to confirm the Hangul pronunciation, fans speculate that it will be "Nyu-Jin-Jeu," which closely resembles "NewJeanz" in English.

Despite the controversy, NJZ is moving forward with new music and performances. Their first major appearance as NJZ will be at ComplexCon 2025 in Hong Kong, where they will headline and debut new music.