Ditto (song)

"Ditto" is a song by the South Korean girl group NewJeans, released on December 19, 2022, by ADOR, a label of Hybe Corporation. The producer 250 composed "Ditto" with Ylva Dimberg, who wrote the lyrics with The Black Skirts, Oohyo, and NewJeans member Minji. With a sound rooted in Baltimore club, the track incorporates a balladic electronic and dance production with influences of house, breakbeat, and UK garage. The lyrics are about reminiscing a platonic love.

"Ditto" topped South Korea's Circle Digital Chart for a record-breaking 13 weeks. It peaked at number eight on the ''Billboard'' Global 200; topped the charts in Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam; and reached the top 10 in Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the Philippines. It also currently holds the record for longest-running Perfect all-kill—a feat referring to a song's consistent number-one position on IChart's real-time, daily, and weekly charts—at 655 hours. Music critics praised the wintry, minimalist, and nostalgia-inducing production and deemed it a refreshing alternative to the maximalist sound that had saturated the K-pop market. The song ranked 19th on ''Rolling Stone''s 2023 list of the 100 Greatest Songs in the History of Korean Pop Music, being the most recent entry.

The accompanying music video was shot in Daegu, South Korea, and depicts the group members as high-school students recording their daily lives using a camcorder. In 2023, it won Song of the Year at the annual Asia Artist Awards, Korean Music Awards, MAMA Awards, and Melon Music Awards. Later that year, both the Korea Music Content Association and the Recording Industry Association of Japan certified "Ditto" platinum for surpassing 100 million streams in respective countries.

Background and release

South Korean girl group NewJeans released their first eponymous extended play (EP) in August 2022 to commercial success and critical acclaim. The EP topped South Korea's Circle Music Chart, selling 311,200 copies in its first week.

On November 10, 2022, ADOR announced through NewJeans' social medias that the group would release their first single album, '' OMG'', on January 2, 2023. CEO and executive producer Min Hee-jin stated that the release would be preceded by an unnamed single "prepared for he group'sfirst winter with Bunnies (NewJeans' official fanbase)" and set to be released on December 19. The song's title, "Ditto", was announced on December 12 through three moving posters: one featured lyrics from the song, while the other two showed two rabbits, one red and the other white, running. The following day, Min stated that the project would feature artists Oohyo and The Black Skirts, who had written part of "Ditto"'s lyrics, and advertising director Shin Woo-seok, who had directed its two-part music video. "Ditto" was released on December 19 alongside its music video.

Music and lyrics

The producer 250 programmed "Ditto" and composed it with Ylva Dimberg. The song is set in a time signature of and has a fast tempo of around 130 beats per minute. It has a balladic production rooted in Baltimore club, expanding on the club-music sensibilities of NewJeans' past songs. With a primarily electronic and dance sound, "Ditto" opens with atmospheric synth pads over which group member Hyein hums. Soft, ''staccato'' beats and claps using 808 drums drive the track and create syncopated rhythms that evoke UK garage, breakbeat, and 1980s house. The song incorporates a low bassline and occasional hi-hats as it progresses over the synth choral base.

Yoo Seong-eun from the South Korean music webzine ''Music Y'' said the song's rhythm evokes late-2000s Japanese ''Shibuya-kei'' artists such as FreeTEMPO and Daishi Dance, whereas its atmosphere reminisces the Weeknd's alternative R&B track " Die for You" (2016). Music critics described the production as hazy, ethereal, and dreamy, which evokes a wintry atmosphere. Joshua Minsoo Kim of NPR wrote that the synth chords feel like "freshly fallen snow, embodying the down-home comforts of the holiday season", and JT Early of ''Beats Per Minute'' felt the soundscape was "chill" and "slightly darker" than the group's previous output. ''Rolling Stone'' said the vocal harmonies evoked "Y2K-era Black American girl groups".

The lyrics were written by group member Minji, Ylva Dimberg, The Black Skirts, and Oohyo. Reviewers interpreted the song as a confession of a platonic love. NewJeans sing "My feelings for you, like the memories we share, have grown so big", hoping that they are reciprocated. Minji said that while writing "Ditto", she envisioned a scene of "a winter mountain that felt kind of cold, but warm at the same time", which made her "put some objects inside the mountain, for example, like a tree house and a campfire".

Critical reception

Kim appreciated NewJeans' minimalist production choices that set them apart from their contemporaries in the K-pop scene. Ko Kyung-seok of the ''Hankook Ilbo'' praised 250's production and noted that the composition, though straightforward, "hides experimentation and complexity". Bang Ho-jung of ''Kookje Shinmoon'' was moved by the song and thought that the "simple sound" allows the listener to focus on the vocals, melody, and lyrics. Critic Kim Yun-ha deemed the composition "ordinary", but found the song emotionally touching, writing that "Ditto" encapsulates a winter made of "small fragments of memories that were hidden between the bone-chilling sub-zero cold, the huge tree, the noisy street scene and the laughter of friends".

''Beats Per Minute'' JT Early wrote that the song "best captures the 'winter' side of the group, refreshing and slightly darker in the soundscape". Sara Delgrado of ''Teen Vogue'' deemed "Ditto" one of their best releases yet, while ''Rolling Stone India'' Divyansha Dongre said that the track was a "phenomenal" ending to their 2022 "musical chapter". Crystal Bell placed "Ditto" at number 25 in ''Mashable'' list of the 25 best K-pop songs of 2022. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it number 19 in their 2023 list of the 100 Greatest Songs in the History of Korean Pop Music. Webzine ''Music Y'' ranked "Ditto" first place in their ranking of the 10 best songs of 2023. Kim Do-heon, member of the selection committee at the Korean Music Awards, described "Ditto" as "fresh and warm at the same time, new and nostalgic at the same time, a song that symbolizes the winter of 2022". '' Paste'' placed the song at 23 on their list of the 100 best songs of the 2020s so far.

Accolades

"Ditto" won eight first place music program awards in South Korea, including a triple crown (three awards) on ''Inkigayo''. It also won a Melon Weekly Popularity Award on January 23, 2023.

Commercial performance

"Ditto" debuted at number one on South Korea's Circle Digital Chart in the issue dated December 18–25, 2022, earning NewJeans their second number-one single in the country after "Attention". It remained atop the chart for thirteen weeks, becoming the longest-running number one song in the chart's history. The song debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' Vietnam Hot 100 in the chart issue dated December 29, 2022, becoming their first number-one single in the country. It topped the chart for three consecutive weeks, after which it was replaced by their own " OMG", making NewJeans the international artist with the most weeks atop the chart alongside Blackpink. "Ditto" reached number one on the Indonesia Songs chart. The song spent three and four consecutive weeks atop the Singapore's Top Streaming Chart and the Taiwan Songs chart, respectively. In Japan, the song peaked at number 12 on the ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 and number 13 on the Oricon Combined Singles Chart.

In the United Kingdom, "Ditto" was NewJeans' first entry on the Official Singles Chart, peaking at number 95. The song debuted at number 17 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 in the chart issue dated January 7, 2023, and entered the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 96 two weeks later with 5.1 million US streams, becoming the group's first entry on the chart. They were the fastest Korean act to enter the chart and the fifth Korean group after Wonder Girls, BTS, Blackpink and Twice. The song peaked at number 82 in its fifth week on the chart. "Ditto" became NewJeans' highest-ranked song on the ''Billboard'' Argentina Hot 100, reaching number 43. It also charted in Australia (54), Canada (43), Hong Kong (3), Malaysia (2), the Netherlands (31), Philippines (2), and Portugal (153).

The song was NewJeans first top-10 hit on the ''Billboard'' Global Excl. US, peaking at number four with 41.9 million streams and 3,000 digital downloads sold in the period of December 30, 2022–January 5, 2023. It debuted at number 36 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200 in the chart issue dated December 31, 2022, and peaked at number eight two weeks later with 46.5 million streams and 4,000 digital downloads sold, making NewJeans the fourth Korean group to enter the chart's top-10 after BTS, Blackpink, and Big Bang.

Music video

Development

Director Shin Woo-seok, CEO of South Korean video production company Dolphiners Films, was approached by Min to direct a music video about the relationship between idols and fans. She offered him full creative control, although she suggested Shin include a scene with "a deer standing alone in a snowy field". At the time, Shin wasn't interested in working in the idol industry, but found the offer intriguing and wanted to try something new. Shin said he "wanted to talk about the fact that the relationship between an idol and a fan ultimately comes to an end, the meaning of the process, and the existence of each other", but he was unsure of how the video would be received. The concept was approved by the label and Min introduced NewJeans to Shin, who described them as "pure and fun as kids their age".

Shin wanted to use an innovative scene composition compared to the "standardized framework" he had observed in most K-pop music videos. He introduced a sixth unnamed character, intended to symbolize NewJeans' fans, to provide a different point of view and to showcase the choreography in a way that fit into the story. Initially indicated as "A" in the script, Shin named the character Ban Hee-soo after the announcement of NewJeans' fandom name, Bunnies. The deer, instead, was meant to symbolize an ideal friend. Shin said he was influenced by a Greek myth of the goddess Circe found in Homer's ''Odyssey'', where she transforms men into swines. Shin had initially planned to make only one music video, but decided to split it after the song was shortened. He explained that each part reflects one of two themes: hope and despair.

The music video was mainly shot in three locations around Jung District, Daegu: Gyeseong Middle School, Cheongna Hill, and Dongsan Medical Center. Shin wanted to faithfully portray a Korean hagwon. While thinking back to his school days, he decided to shoot part of the video with a camcorder. Shin thought it could be a realistic and effective medium to convey Hee-soo close relationship with NewJeans, as she is shown filming her friends dancing with the camcorder. Since he didn't have times to realize CGI, Shin brought to set a real deer. Choi Hyun-wook and Park Ji-hu made cameo appearances.

Reception

The music video drew attention for its "retro yet dreamy" atmosphere that reminded Generation X viewers of their school days. Several reviewers compared it to the ''Whispering Corridors'' film series (1998–2021; also known as the ''Girls' High School Ghost Story'' series); some reviewers also compared it to ''Love Letter'' (1995) and '' Hana and Alice'' (2004) by Japanese director Shunji Iwai, famous for depicting the sense of loss and anxiety of becoming an adult in his films. Bang felt emotional watching the music video as it evoked old memories. Benjamin praised the video for "perfectly" capturing "the loneliness and awkwardness one can feel in adolescence, even when surrounded by friends". Writing for '' Weekly Dong-a'', music critic Mimyo wrote that NewJeans "challenges the idol fantasy": while idols usually create an emotional bond with fans by showing them all facets of their lives, in the music video NewJeans are depicted as "ghost-like" figures, whose past and relation to the public is unclear. Delgrado likened the "hazy visuals" to those of Sofia Coppola's films. According to '' Elle Korea'', the music video contributed to the resurgence of camcorders.

Promotion

NewJeans performed "Ditto" on South Korean music programs ''Inkigayo'' on January 15, 2023, and '' Music Bank'' on January 20 and 27, 2023, after having already won four trophies for the song at different music programs in the previous weeks. They garnered four additional trophies, reaching a total of eight wins for "Ditto".

Credits and personnel

Song

Credits adapted from Melon.
* Ylva Dimberg – composition, lyrics
* The Black Skirts – lyrics
* Oohyo – lyrics
* Minji (NewJeans) – lyrics
* 250 – composition, instrumental, programming

Music video

Credits adapted from YouTube.For the full credits see:

* Min Hee-jin – producer
* Dolphiners Films – production
* Shin Woo-seok – director, writer
* Jongho Baek – production manager
* Sunghun Lee – planning
* Hangyeol Lee – director of photography
* Sunghye Baik – director of photography
* Hayoung Shin – gaffer
* Doosoo Choi – gaffer
* Mimi Yang – art
* Sunyeon Kim – hair and make-up designer
* Ipsae Lee – costume designer
* Hansaem Kim – location manager
* Dahye Kim – location manager
* Hyeji Moon – location mixer
* Yoonseok Jang – VFX supervisor
* Hyunah Lee – DI colorist
* Joseph Ahn – sound mixing
* Yong Kim – music
* Hyunsoo Nam – key grip
* Hyeonjong Yun – boom operator
* Junghun Lee – line producer
* Chami Kwon – line producer
* Yumi Choi – style director, styling (ADOR)
* Giihee – hair styling (ADOR)
* Naree – hair styling (ADOR)
* Eunseo Lee – make-up (ADOR)
* Hyemin Kim – artist manager (ADOR)
* Seulgi Kim – artist manager (ADOR)
* Youngsil Hwang – sound designer
* Taeyoung Im – sound designer

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

See also

* List of Circle Digital Chart number ones of 2022
* List of Circle Digital Chart number ones of 2023
* List of number-one songs of 2022 (Singapore)
* List of number-one songs of 2023 (Singapore)
* List of ''Inkigayo'' Chart winners (2023)
* List of ''Music Bank'' Chart winners (2023)
* List of ''Show! Music Core'' Chart winners (2023)

References

{{Melon Music Award for Song of the Year
2022 singles
2022 songs
Songs in Korean
NewJeans songs
Hybe Corporation singles
Circle Digital Chart number-one singles
Number-one singles in Indonesia
Number-one singles in Singapore
South Korean electronic dance music songs
Song recordings produced by 250 (musician)