Some collaborations make sense on paper. Others happen because two creative forces find each other and create something neither could have anticipated alone. The NewJeans x Takashi Murakami plush keyring belongs in the second category. It came out of a music video, a shared admiration, and a creative partnership that merged two of the most globally followed names in contemporary culture, one from K-pop, one from fine art. The result is a piece that works simultaneously as merchandise, as a collectible art object, and as documentation of a specific moment in both careers.
How the collaboration started: a fan who happened to be Takashi Murakami
The origin story of this collaboration is unusually direct. During an appearance at the “Takashi Murakami: MurakamiZombie” exhibition held at the Busan Museum of Art in 2023, Murakami openly told the audience: “I am a huge fan of NewJeans. I would be grateful to meet them.”
That statement led directly to what followed. When the opportunity to collaborate arose, Murakami saw it as a chance to merge his artistic vision with the group’s magnetic charm. Furthermore, Min Hee Jin, the CEO of NewJeans’ label ADOR, shared behind-the-scenes images of Murakami sketching the NewJeans members Hanni, Haerin, Minji, Danielle, and Hyein into cartoon characters that reflect his signature art style.
In other words, this collaboration started with genuine admiration, not a brand brief. That difference matters enormously when evaluating the cultural weight of the objects it produced.
The “Right Now” music video: where the visual universe was born
The collaboration centered on the music video for “Right Now,” part of NewJeans’ first Japanese release, the double single album “Supernatural.” The video brought together three distinct visual worlds in one piece of content.
The teaser opens with the five members as their Powerpuff Girls characters, last seen in the clip for “New Jeans.” As they walk through a forest, they encounter a flower with rainbow petals, which transports them into a different dimension where the group appear as characters designed by Takashi Murakami.
Murakami brought his signature touch, especially the iconic rainbow flower, to this collaboration. The teaser revealed new characters representing each NewJeans member, designed by the artist himself. Each character carried a distinct color, a pair of bunny ears with the member’s initial, and a visual identity that connected directly to Murakami’s Superflat universe.
The capsule: from screen to physical object
The visual world of “Right Now” didn’t stay on screen. In addition to the music video, Murakami worked to bring the visual world to life in a capsule of merchandise. The girls were reimagined as plush figurines, each wearing a bright-colored outfit and matching ears with their initials.
The merchandise capsule also included bags and accessories, crossbody bags, drawstring backpacks, all featuring the collaborative imagery that blends Murakami’s iconic floral patterns with NewJeans’ visual identity.
Within that entire capsule, however, the plush keyring stands apart. It takes the character design from the music video, the bunny ears, the initials, the member-specific color, and translates it into a compact, tactile object. Moreover, the metal keyring version includes two charms: the reimagined NewJeans character and the NewJeans x Murakami flower design from the “Right Now” music video. Consequently, each piece carries both the character identity and Murakami’s signature motif in a single object.
Why this collab holds collector value
Three factors position this keyring above standard K-pop merchandise.
First, the creative origin. This collaboration grew from Murakami’s genuine admiration for the group, publicly stated before any commercial arrangement existed. Pieces born from that kind of creative authenticity carry a different energy from licensed merchandise.
Second, Murakami’s design involvement. Murakami personally sketched each NewJeans member into her character. These are not generic adaptations of existing artwork. Each character reflects the artist’s direct creative input applied to a specific person. Furthermore, the connection to the “Right Now” music video gives each piece a fixed cultural context, a specific song, a specific release moment, a specific visual universe.
Third, the intersection of two markets. NewJeans and Murakami each command dedicated collector bases with very little overlap. This collaboration creates a rare meeting point between K-pop merchandise collectors and contemporary art collectible collectors, which means demand comes from two directions simultaneously.
The five members: shop individually at Rare Inventory
Each keyring celebrates one member of NewJeans through her own color, initial, and character expression, designed personally by Murakami. At Rare Inventory, we carry all five individually:
Minji – Plush Keyring (Blue) Blue bunny ears, initial M. Minji’s character carries a calm, direct expression that reflects her role as the group’s leader.
Haerin – Plush Keyring (Green) Green bunny ears, initial H. Haerin’s character features the most reserved expression of the five, a wink that matches her quiet, cool persona.
Danielle – Plush Keyring (Purple) Purple bunny ears, initial D. Danielle’s character brings an open, expressive energy that translates immediately into the design.
Hyein – Plush Keyring (Yellow) Yellow bunny ears, initial H. As the youngest member, Hyein’s character carries a playful energy that matches the colorway perfectly.
Hanni – Plush Keyring (Pink) Pink bunny ears, initial N. Hanni’s character features a bright, open smile and warm pink tones that make it the most immediately cheerful of the five designs, a perfect match for her energetic stage presence.
Each piece ships original and verified. Buy one member or collect all five, both options make sense depending on how you approach the collaboration.
Available now at Rare Inventory
At Rare Inventory, we carry the NewJeans x Takashi Murakami plush keyrings as part of our Takashi Murakami collection. Every piece ships original and verified.
Browse the full Murakami catalog for more pieces from his collaborations across music, fashion, and contemporary art.
