Since their debut, NewJeans have shown their ability to evoke strong feelings of nostalgia with imagery and sounds straight out of the late 90s and early 2000s. With the group’s newest song “Ditto,” a pre-release from their upcoming album OMG, they continue the trip down memory lane.
Right away, with a soothing layer of synths and flitting percussion, the song creates an instant wave of nostalgia. The track is about young love and the desire for a love confession, and the track reflects that beautifully. With the jittery percussion contrasting with the mellow vocals of the group members captures the restlessness of youth so well. The track itself stays in a mid-zone for the whole song, but it fits the intention and meaning of the work so well, that simple in this case is the right way to go. Vocally, the girls perform some lovely harmonies in the pre-chorus that add to the hazy vibe of the song.
During an initial, or even after a few listens, “Ditto” can just sound like a nice and sweet lofi love song. However, with the opening synths and Danielle’s lone voice singing, it gives it an almost haunting tone. Once catching this, the song, while definitely sweet, does carry some sadness with it. Lines throughout the track focus on the feeling of running out of time and not wanting things to end. “Summer’s already gone and it’s autumn,” “I got no time to lose,” and “Oh, say it ditto / Can’t wait ’til the morning,” evoke feelings of youth slipping away, and how looking back at those good times can bring both happiness that they happened, while also sadness for them ending.
With “Ditto,” NewJeans have pulled off something interesting. Despite how young the members are (with the youngest member Hyein being born in 2008), they have managed to bring about strong emotions and memories for those who grew up in the turn of the 21st century. It shows a level of intuition that has been fascinating to experience through the group’s vocals, tracks, and their lyrics. With that said, “Ditto” is definitely a song that we’ll all feel great nostalgia for years down the road.
Featured Image: ADOR
