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Can (G)I-DLE Make It in the Tough K-Pop World?
by Lauren Jiang
The women from the promising new K-pop band, (G)I-DLE—(lft-rt) Soojin, Shuhua, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi, Miyeon—embrace for an album cover. image: courtesy Cube EntertainmentBUSKING IS VERY POPULAR IN HONGDAE,
Seoul’s hipster quarter full of restaurants and shops, which is jam packed every night of the week with people, a mix of energetic college students and curious tourists.
Despite the recent threat of nuclear war, Hongdae is jammed—in fact, the kids there don’t like to talk about it. They’d rather party hardy, using only alcohol—no drugs, and dance, starting right in the street, on their way to the club.
Street performing singers and dance groups generally cover famous songs and often draw big crowds of captivated listeners. See (G)I-DLE killing a medley of BTS's "Mic Drop" and CL's "Hello Bitches" here.
By the way, capital letters figure highly in the English version of K-pop names for some unknown reason—perhaps they just like to add that extra BOLDNESS!
Although (G)I-DLE likes to busk in Hongdae, they are in fact the newest girl group from Cube Entertainment, one of K-pop’s talent factories well known for the bands BTOB and 4Minute, which they trained for years with investments of thousands if not millions of Korean won.
The K-pop fandom has been questioning this decision, especially with Cube’s other new outing, CLC, being such a capable and talented girl group.
However, Cube seems to be emulating their more successful Korean entertainment industry peers, the most popular of which is SM Entertainment, with YG Entertainment coming in at number two.
CLC is Cube's version of SM Entertainment’s Girls' Generation, composed of girls-next-door types, who are universally swooned over. Meanwhile, (G)I-DLE is their version of YG’s Blackpink, the confident and edgy band of sisters. Both are all the rage across Seoul and even the hinterland—probably in Pyongyang, maybe even with Kim Jong Un himself!
On the other hand, perhaps Cube isn't intentionally trying to copy other mega-successful groups, and the fans don't mind, since (G)I-DLE has its own quirks and fun qualities.
These derive from its six unique members, Soyeon, Miyeon, Soojin, Minnie, Yuqi and Shuhua, all with fascinating backstories.
The (G)I-DLE girls join on set for their debut music video, 'Latata'. image: courtesy Cube EntertainmentSoyeon, the group leader, previously released two songs as a solo rapper and had a stint on “Unpretty Rapstar”, a popular female-rapper competition TV show, which gave her a seasoned street cred, along with an experienced, professional aura.
Miyeon used to be a trainee at YG Entertainment, where she was all set to debut with Blackpink. She’s known as “The Visual,” meaning the stunner who gets a lot of featured screen time.
Soojin grew up doing jazz dance and entered K-pop’s grueling training machine over objections from her father.
Indeed, K-pop has been criticized for being too regimented, forcing their trainees to practice relentlessly and even controlling dating and marriage (see BBC article from 1/16/2016.) Alas, it is a very competitive scene.
Soojin was actually set to debut three years ago, but as it goes in the K-pop scene, her group at that time didn’t make it against the cut-throat competition.
(G)I-DLE, which is a mix between the English word “I” and the Korean participle “deul”, meaning more than one, is rounded out with three non-Koreans. Recruiting international talent is more and more common with Korean entertainment companies since, in today’s entertainment industry, diversity sells.
Minnie is an ex-model and lead vocalist from Thailand, while Yuqi is from China and has a distinct voice for K-pop. It’s deeper and stronger than most women in the industry, and even more interesting when paired with her cutesy image.
Shuhua is from Taiwan and the youngest member, or “maknae,” as they are called. She doesn’t get much screen time yet, but with more industry experience that’s sure to change.
This group definitely embodies the "girl crush" concept, since they are super cute but also clearly talented. They have a lot of promise, from their international appeal to their classy, colorful style.
On May 2nd, (G)I-DLE released their first extended play album, “I Am”. The album embodies K-pop’s typical fun youthful concept, but with an edge — that deep soulful sound — provided by Yuqi and Soyeon.
The (G)I-DLE ladies pose for a pic during their 'Latata' dance tutorial. image: courtesy Cube EntertainmentThe EP features the single "Latata" which already grabbed awards on “The Show” and “M Countdown”. A modern, trendy tune that showcases their potential and skill, its mysterious concept catches the ear while its tropical vibe pulls the listener in. Like most K-pop bands, (G)I-DLE does not play instruments and their music is primarily electronic generated by in-house musicians.
If you want to hop on the (G)I-DLE bandwagon, check out this video! Or them performing their debut single.
Many people thought K-pop would take a break while The Donald and Master Kim duke it out, but no way. These kids have been living under the nukes since they were born, and that is exactly why K-pop is so vibrant and doing better than ever, in its third decade on the world stage.
In fact, the K-pop boy band BTS just debuted at NUMBER ONE on the Billboard top 100 with their third studio album, “Love Yourself: Tear”, a rarity for an album with only the occasional lyric in English. They are the first K-pop band to chart since Psy amazed the world with his catchy “Gangnam Style” in 2012.
There’s a clear gap in the American boy and girl group market right now, with once-mega groups like One Direction and Fifth Harmony on hiatus. This provides the perfect opportunity for K-pop groups to swoop in and amass a fandom.
K-pop is irresistible to the masses. With its uber-catchy songs, excellently-produced music videos and wholesome personalities, what’s not to like? Especially at a time when racial inclusion in the media is becoming more pressing and openness to international music more common than ever.
Keep an ear out for more releases on American charts, since K-pop is definitely not going to stop rising anytime soon.
Lauren Jiang was born and raised in the Bay Area and is an entertainment and lifestyle journalist who is passionate about strengthening community, expressing herself through performing arts, and specializing in Korean culture—indeed, she recently lived there for a year. Jiang can be reached . Posted on Jun 03, 2018 - 11:03 PM
by Lauren Jiang
The women from the promising new K-pop band, (G)I-DLE—(lft-rt) Soojin, Shuhua, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi, Miyeon—embrace for an album cover. image: courtesy Cube EntertainmentSeoul’s hipster quarter full of restaurants and shops, which is jam packed every night of the week with people, a mix of energetic college students and curious tourists.
Despite the recent threat of nuclear war, Hongdae is jammed—in fact, the kids there don’t like to talk about it. They’d rather party hardy, using only alcohol—no drugs, and dance, starting right in the street, on their way to the club.
Street performing singers and dance groups generally cover famous songs and often draw big crowds of captivated listeners. See (G)I-DLE killing a medley of BTS's "Mic Drop" and CL's "Hello Bitches" here.
By the way, capital letters figure highly in the English version of K-pop names for some unknown reason—perhaps they just like to add that extra BOLDNESS!
Although (G)I-DLE likes to busk in Hongdae, they are in fact the newest girl group from Cube Entertainment, one of K-pop’s talent factories well known for the bands BTOB and 4Minute, which they trained for years with investments of thousands if not millions of Korean won.
The K-pop fandom has been questioning this decision, especially with Cube’s other new outing, CLC, being such a capable and talented girl group.
However, Cube seems to be emulating their more successful Korean entertainment industry peers, the most popular of which is SM Entertainment, with YG Entertainment coming in at number two.
CLC is Cube's version of SM Entertainment’s Girls' Generation, composed of girls-next-door types, who are universally swooned over. Meanwhile, (G)I-DLE is their version of YG’s Blackpink, the confident and edgy band of sisters. Both are all the rage across Seoul and even the hinterland—probably in Pyongyang, maybe even with Kim Jong Un himself!
On the other hand, perhaps Cube isn't intentionally trying to copy other mega-successful groups, and the fans don't mind, since (G)I-DLE has its own quirks and fun qualities.
These derive from its six unique members, Soyeon, Miyeon, Soojin, Minnie, Yuqi and Shuhua, all with fascinating backstories.
The (G)I-DLE girls join on set for their debut music video, 'Latata'. image: courtesy Cube EntertainmentMiyeon used to be a trainee at YG Entertainment, where she was all set to debut with Blackpink. She’s known as “The Visual,” meaning the stunner who gets a lot of featured screen time.
Soojin grew up doing jazz dance and entered K-pop’s grueling training machine over objections from her father.
Indeed, K-pop has been criticized for being too regimented, forcing their trainees to practice relentlessly and even controlling dating and marriage (see BBC article from 1/16/2016.) Alas, it is a very competitive scene.
Soojin was actually set to debut three years ago, but as it goes in the K-pop scene, her group at that time didn’t make it against the cut-throat competition.
(G)I-DLE, which is a mix between the English word “I” and the Korean participle “deul”, meaning more than one, is rounded out with three non-Koreans. Recruiting international talent is more and more common with Korean entertainment companies since, in today’s entertainment industry, diversity sells.
Minnie is an ex-model and lead vocalist from Thailand, while Yuqi is from China and has a distinct voice for K-pop. It’s deeper and stronger than most women in the industry, and even more interesting when paired with her cutesy image.
Shuhua is from Taiwan and the youngest member, or “maknae,” as they are called. She doesn’t get much screen time yet, but with more industry experience that’s sure to change.
This group definitely embodies the "girl crush" concept, since they are super cute but also clearly talented. They have a lot of promise, from their international appeal to their classy, colorful style.
On May 2nd, (G)I-DLE released their first extended play album, “I Am”. The album embodies K-pop’s typical fun youthful concept, but with an edge — that deep soulful sound — provided by Yuqi and Soyeon.
The (G)I-DLE ladies pose for a pic during their 'Latata' dance tutorial. image: courtesy Cube EntertainmentIf you want to hop on the (G)I-DLE bandwagon, check out this video! Or them performing their debut single.
Many people thought K-pop would take a break while The Donald and Master Kim duke it out, but no way. These kids have been living under the nukes since they were born, and that is exactly why K-pop is so vibrant and doing better than ever, in its third decade on the world stage.
In fact, the K-pop boy band BTS just debuted at NUMBER ONE on the Billboard top 100 with their third studio album, “Love Yourself: Tear”, a rarity for an album with only the occasional lyric in English. They are the first K-pop band to chart since Psy amazed the world with his catchy “Gangnam Style” in 2012.
There’s a clear gap in the American boy and girl group market right now, with once-mega groups like One Direction and Fifth Harmony on hiatus. This provides the perfect opportunity for K-pop groups to swoop in and amass a fandom.
K-pop is irresistible to the masses. With its uber-catchy songs, excellently-produced music videos and wholesome personalities, what’s not to like? Especially at a time when racial inclusion in the media is becoming more pressing and openness to international music more common than ever.
Keep an ear out for more releases on American charts, since K-pop is definitely not going to stop rising anytime soon.
Lauren Jiang was born and raised in the Bay Area and is an entertainment and lifestyle journalist who is passionate about strengthening community, expressing herself through performing arts, and specializing in Korean culture—indeed, she recently lived there for a year. Jiang can be reached . Posted on Jun 03, 2018 - 11:03 PM
