Former NewJeans member Danielle, who has been engaged in a legal dispute with Ador since the termination of her exclusive contract. [YouTube capture]
Former NewJeans member Danielle, who has been engaged in a legal dispute with Ador since the termination of her exclusive contract. [YouTube capture]

Danielle, the former NewJeans member currently engaged in a legal dispute with Ador, surprised fans with an original song on the birthday of the fandom "Bunnies." As the first music released since her contract termination, the track has sparked speculation that it may mark the beginning of her solo career.

At midnight Thursday, Danielle posted a 1-minute-34-second video of herself performing the original song "Stay" on her YouTube channel "Danielle Marsh."

Written and composed by Danielle, "Stay" is a folk-pop track layered with her dreamy vocals over an acoustic guitar arrangement. The lyrics, written entirely in English, weave together themes of hurt, isolation, inner conflict and longing for time that cannot be reclaimed.

Several lines reveal Danielle's state of mind: "I'm only now wanting things I didn't know I needed more," "When no one reaches out, I try to wash away the pain — I say things I don't mean just to fill the silence," "Whatever you say, no matter how hard we try to start over, it can never be the same as before," and "Believing I could turn back everything for you, I fight so desperately."

Oct. 29 is the day NewJeans first announced the official fandom name "Bunnies" in 2022, and fans have since marked the date each year as "Bunnies Day."

Among all the videos on Danielle's YouTube channel, this is the first in which Danielle sings, fueling further speculation that she may be launching independent activities.

Meanwhile, Danielle was the only one among the five original NewJeans members to receive a contract termination notice from Ador in December last year. The NewJeans members had declared the termination of their exclusive contracts with Ador in November 2024, following the dismissal of former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin and other developments, but a court ruled in October last year that the contracts remained valid, after which the members one by one expressed their intention to return to Ador.

After notifying Danielle of the contract termination, Ador filed a lawsuit against Danielle and former CEO Min, among others, seeking penalty fees and damages over her departure from NewJeans and delays in returning to the agency. The suit is valued at 33 billion won ($24.7 million), and the legal dispute is ongoing.


betterj@heraldcorp.com