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| The members of K-pop act (G)I-DLE pose during a press event at a hotel in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Joo-yeon |
(G)I-DLE returns with sixth mini-album 'I feel'
By Dong Sun-hwa
Beauty is timeless and fleeting; nebulous and retreating. It is many things to many people. But to K-pop girl group (G)I-DLE, it is all about adoring oneself.
The Cube Entertainment group put out its new song, "Queencard" on Monday, an ode to those who love themselves regardless of their shortcomings. Through its lyrics, "Queencard" attempts to boost the self-esteem of its fans, who often feel a sense of inferiority as they cannot stop comparing themselves to others.
"The core message of 'Queencard' is that you can be a beautiful person if you adore yourself," leader Soyeon, who took part in its creative process, said during a press event at a hotel in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, Monday. "And if you adore yourself, others will adore you. I hope a lot of people can feel this with our new music."
In the "Queencard" music video, (G)I-DLE members play different characters ranging from a social media influencer to an ordinary woman in her 20s. Soyeon, in particular, assumes the role of a woman named, "SY," who appears to be "nothing special" at first glance. SY envies attractive-looking girls and even considers going under the plastic surgeon's knife but later realizes that she is beautiful as she is.
"I think people would find our music video relatable because even the four hot girls in the clip compare themselves to someone else and feel small," Soyeon said. "It shows that this is something very common."
But all five (G)I-DLE members ― Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua ― are confident about themselves.
"When I was young, I used to wonder why I was so short and why I didn't have double eyelids," Soyeon recalled. "But now, I feel like I have no inferiorities. If I were born again, I would like to be born as I am."
Thai member Minnie added, "Everyone including myself has a flaw, but I still love myself … As I geared up for 'Queencard,' I naturally gained more confidence and self-esteem."
According to Soyeon, "Queencard" can be thought of as a comedy movie with a retro vibe. Its music video reminds people of a "music drama," a short drama-like video with background music that enjoyed popularity in Korea in the 2000s.
"The 2018 American comedy film, 'I Feel Pretty' inspired me a lot," Soyeon explained. "So far, I think we have attempted to give some lessons to people through our albums and music videos, but this time, we included more comical, humorous and entertaining elements."
Chinese member Yuqi chimed in, saying, "We filmed our music video in the U.S. for the first time. Before shooting it, I watched numerous Netflix movies and dramas that center on teenagers, trying to learn their way of speaking and gestures."
In addition to the lead single "Queencard," (G)I-DLE's sixth mini-album "I feel" offers five other tracks: "Allergy," "Lucid," "All Night," "Paradise" and "Young Adult."
The mini-album has already made a splash, clocking up 1.1 million pre-orders. This is the highest record for the group since its debut in 2018.
"I think everyone has worked together to pull off such a feat," Yuqi said after thanking her fans. "But this is not the end. We will pat ourselves on the back for what we have done, but will continue to work hard in the future."
Shortly after releasing "I feel," (G)I-DLE is scheduled to embark on a world tour titled, "I am FREE-TY." The tour will start with two performances in Seoul on June 16 and 17.
