With chief Soyeon on the helm (and members Minnie and Yuqi as blossoming producers in their very own proper), (G)I-DLE have stood proud since their 2018 as one of many few totally self-producing woman teams in Ok-pop. They’ve additionally turn out to be identified for his or her daring lyricism and pushing the boundaries with every launch, as they enterprise the place a lot of their friends is not going to, from the not-so-subtly sapphic ‘Oh My God’ to the reducing commentary of ‘Nxde’.
Despite a year-long hiatus after authentic member Soojin left the group in 2021, the quintet got here again with a vengeance final 12 months on ‘Tomboy’, proving that they will actually by no means die. In celebration of their fifth anniversary as a bunch and forward of their new mini-album ‘I Feel’, listed here are 10 of (G)I-DLE’s finest songs so far.
Opening with haunting, eerie church bells, the atmospheric ‘Oh My God’ is probably considered one of (G)I-DLE’s extra unconventional title tracks. The verses are effortlessly sultry, adopted by a galvanising build-up as their feelings come to a head earlier than all of it crashes down. “Oh my god / She took me to the sky,” the refrain echoes, as they lastly give in to temptation.
9
‘Villain Dies’ (2022)
Reminiscent of a noir movie, ‘Villain Dies’ is (G)I-DLE at their darkest and most unapologetic, declaring that they’d moderately die a villain than concede defeat in a recreation of affection. After all, isn’t it at all times the villain who drives the plot?
Debuting with a tropical-pop single on the top of Ok-pop’s tropical craze was a fairly dangerous transfer. But whereas numerous others have pale into the background, (G)I-DLE managed to make their mark from day one with one of many greatest earworms of 2018. Perhaps it was Soyeon’s edgy charisma or Yuqi’s jarring (however charming) low tone that made it stand out. Either manner, ‘LATATA’ stays some of the polished, assured Ok-pop debuts so far.
Enchanting moombahton beats skip by means of the lovesick ‘Dahlia’, providing a hopeful conclusion to their sorrowful 2021 mini-album ‘I Burn’ as they discover themselves infatuated yet again. Produced by Minnie, this fan favorite observe borrows from the moody charms of the remainder of the report in its verses, earlier than blossoming right into a heart-fluttering refrain that swells with the harmful thrill of selecting to fall in love once more.
Channelling laidback ’90s hip-hop, ‘Uh-Oh’ is a lighthearted break from (G)I-DLE’s typical depth. Still dripping with perspective, the woman group keep unbothered as they brush off the haters disguised as pals, nonchalantly calling out their lies and backhanded compliments as they coolly draw the road: “Don’t expect me to do something for you.”
5
‘Put It Straight’ (2019)
While (G)I-DLE should not notably identified for his or her ballads, the fantastically poignant ‘Put It Straight’ is certainly one value speaking about. From moody, restrained verses blooms a catharsis within the refrain by Minnie and Miyeon. And so simple as their repeated cries of “it hurts” are, the track’s rawness completely drives dwelling the helpless, inconsolable agony of watching a once-great love fall away like sand between your fingertips.
Another artfully produced observe by Minnie, the bouncy jazz–pop of ‘Sculpture’ is a bittersweet ode to navigating romance as a girl, always contorting oneself to really feel worthy of receiving love. “Even if there are cracks in my sculpted body / Yeah, I think it’s easier to lose me than to lose you,” Miyeon confesses within the observe, which incorporates a few of (G)I-DLE’s most weak, trustworthy lyrics so far.
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As spellbindingly stunning because the celestial physique it’s titled after, the bewitching ‘Moon’ solely will get higher with each hear. This mid-tempo quantity is deceptively groovy, whereas its sorrowful lyrics plead desperately with the moon to cease shining – if just for a second – out of a need to cover within the darkness and lick one’s wounds. It’s painfully trustworthy, exquisitely capturing the post-heartbreak craving to be left alone as Soyeon closes out the observe with a resigned sigh: “A bright, moonlit night / I can’t even cry”.
Visceral and intense, the woman group re-imagine themselves as untamable beasts of their Queendom finale track, forcefully demanding the eye of their listeners as they promise to “destroy the boring rhythm and devote a lion’s dance”. Ruthlessly reducing rap verses and fierce belts lend ‘Lion’ most of its energy, whereas dynamic buildups drape its environment with a commanding grandeur.
Although (G)I-DLE have at all times been a pressure to be reckoned with, ‘Lion’ marked a serious turning level of their careers, wherein they made the transformation from promising rookies to true masters of their craft.
On prime of being (G)I-DLE’s most cohesive report so far, ‘I Burn’ additionally boasts a few of their best tracks, as evidenced in its overwhelming presence on this listing. It’s no shock then, that its title observe takes the crown because the group’s finest track thus far.
The haunting, ethereal ‘HWAA’ faucets into the dreaminess of 2018’s ‘HANN’, solely extra polished and deliberately crafted than earlier than. Familiar moombahton beats dance between delicate plucks of conventional Korean devices, imbuing the observe with a melancholic, orchestral high quality, but by no means shedding momentum.
Lyrically, one may think about this Soyeon’s magnum opus. The title itself performs on the Chinese characters of ‘火’ (‘Fire’) and ‘花’ (‘Flower’), each pronounced ‘Hwa’ in Korean. Meanwhile, its lyrics are written in a extra conventional type of the language, lending a substantial amount of environment to those that can perceive Korean. Though a lot of that is misplaced in translation, the regal, poetic high quality of ‘HWAA’ nonetheless pierces by means of and stays with listeners lengthy after the track ends – a testomony to Soyeon’s masterful talents.