ADOR is under heavy fire after locking NewJeans member Hanni’s 22nd birthday playlist behind a Weverse paywall, a move fans say breaks a beloved yearly tradition the singer kept with them.
According to Koreaboo, Hanni turned 22 on October 6. She has largely stayed out of the public eye apart from professional commitments since NewJeans’ return to the label following a lengthy legal fight. ADOR marked the day by sharing a birthday-special playlist, continuing the tradition she had kept every year.
The problem, fans quickly noticed, was that this year’s playlist was only accessible behind a paywall on Weverse. In previous years, Hanni had shared her birthday playlists with all fans for free, alongside heartfelt personal messages. A side-by-side comparison posted by the fan account @AboutNWJNSMusic on October 5 laid out the difference for everyone to see.
The reaction was swift. One fan, @retrokki, summed up the mood in a single word: “this is disgusting.” Another, @Hai4RT, wrote: “I hope ador gets the lashing it deserves for shamelessly leeching off of these girls.” Many pointed out that a birthday gift playlist never used to cost fans anything.
The same report noted that former NewJeans member Danielle also shared a birthday post for Hanni, a surprise that caught fans off guard on the same day.
No official statement was available from ADOR regarding the paywall decision.
