NewJeans Hanni’s “Hype Boy” Lyrics Were Inspired By A Classic Disney Movie

The members of rookie group NewJeans have had remarkable careers as K-Pop idols, starting with their unannounced self-titled debut extended play which still managed to be one of the biggest releases of 2022.

Another uncommon trait of the group is their involvement in writing their songs despite their lack of experience. Sometimes K-Pop groups have to wait years before they can write lyrics or compose tracks, but NewJeans members Hanni, Danielle, and Minji have all participated in songwriting for their group before their first anniversary.

Danielle, who contributed to NewJeans’ “Attention,” shared her experience in an interview with SiriusXM. She said that their company’s CEO, Min Hee Jin, encouraged all the members to participate in creating their first release, which came naturally to her since she had always been interested in lyrics and composition. Participating in songwriting was a valuable opportunity for all of them.

Hanni said she first heard the beginning of “Hype Boy” and thought of a ticking clock. Her mind connected the sound to a scene from the beloved classic fairytale turned Disney movie Alice in Wonderland, wherein the main character, Alice, falls down a rabbit hole surrounded by clocks.

“I wanted to express that feeling of falling into something without it being on purpose. In Korean, the lyrics are ‘빠져버리는 daydream,’ but when it gets translated to English, it’s ‘got me chasing a daydream’ or ‘falling into a daydream.’” Hanni said.

The members of NewJeans agreed that Hanni perfectly captured the song’s vibe. Minji even said that the line was her favorite part! The girls’ creativity proves they’re multitalented on and off the stage.

Watch the full interview of NewJeans on SiriusXM below. They talk about their involvement in the writing process of their songs at the 4:13 mark.