The border between pop and K-pop, for i-dle, has now lost much of its importance. What interests them is not fitting into a precise definition, but finding something every time that can surprise them, entertain them and take them into a space that is still unexplored. It is from this research that it was born (We made)their ninth mini album, a project that tells a new nuance of the group without erasing what made them immediately recognisable.
Soyeon, Miyeon, Minnie, Yuqi and Shuhua, who Panorama met exclusively on the occasion of the new project, spoke about it directly. The five artists describe a record crossed by love, but far from its most innocent or idealized representation. The feeling of (We made) it is adult, physical, immediate. It is, as they themselves define it, a “passionate love”.
Beyond the border between pop and K-pop
Upon first listen, the new project may appear more overtly pop than some of the group’s previous releases. But Soyeon rejects the idea that this direction was designed to bring i-dle closer to a particular audience or market.
“I wasn’t actually trying to make this album more pop,” he says. «Today I think the line between pop and K-pop is no longer so clearly defined by genre. We didn’t intentionally want to add a certain pop tone: we simply looked for something that would be more fun for i-dles and that would be new to try.”
An answer that says a lot about the way the group considers their music. Not as a formula to be repeated, but as a mobile territory, in which identity does not depend on respect for a specific gender. The novelty of (We made) therefore it does not arise from a change of strategy: it arises from the need not to stand still.
It’s a particularly significant position for a group that has built its career on the idea of transformation. Each return of i-dle changes language, atmosphere and imagery, but retains a sort of common imprint. Even when the five components bring profoundly different sensibilities, personalities and artistic colors.
«We are a group in which each member has a very distinct personality and style», explains Soyeon again. «But I believe that all these different voices and ideas come together to create a color that only belongs to i-dles. For me, this is what being together means.”
This is probably where the title comes from (We made) acquires its deepest meaning. The “we” does not erase individualities, but contains them. She doesn’t ask the five artists to become similar: she transforms their differences into a single collective identity.
A more mature way of talking about love
At the center of the project there is once again love, a feeling that i-dle have already faced many times, observing it from different perspectives. In (We made)However, that narrative seems to have reached a new awareness.
Miyeon says she listened to all the recordings again before she could really understand the overall character of the album. It was at that moment that he recognized the difference compared to the past.
“Over the years we have explored love in many different ways,” he explains. «This album continues to feel fresh and new, but I think it represents the most mature way we’ve talked about love to date. I would like to be able to clearly show this side of us.”
It’s not necessarily about abandoning lightness. Rather, give it a different temperature. The love told by the i-dles can be playful and immediate, but also intense, aware and sure of one’s desire.
The song Gimme Dat Love picks up precisely this tension. It’s a song that combines sweetness and energy, building a warmer and bolder i-dle image. Minnie can already imagine the audience’s reaction: «They’ll say: “As expected, the i-dle unnies are back with a new summer song”. We have grown further and there is also a warmer and sexier side to the song.”
The sentence immediately provokes an amused reaction from Shuhua: «You are sexy, Minnie». Minnie accepts the comment and reiterates: “I hope everyone can appreciate this sexy side of us.”
It is a short exchange, spontaneous and ironic, which also reflects the chemistry of the group. i-dles can talk about evolution, maturity and ambition without rigidifying their story. The security that emerges from the new project is not distance: it is the freedom to play with your own image knowing exactly who you are.
Curiosity as a creative method
Continuing to change, however, requires a form of permanent attention. After years of music, performances and individual projects, the risk could be to rely on experience, at least partially giving up the amazement of the beginning. Yuqi argues that, for i-dles, the opposite happens.
“Inspiration isn’t just about songwriting,” he says. «We also need ideas for the performances. Personally, I believe I am the kind of person who can suddenly receive inspiration from anything and anywhere. I think all five of us are like that.”
Curiosity, for Yuqi, is not just a character trait, but something that must be protected: “I’ve always been a very curious person, so I simply try to keep that curiosity alive.”
Miyeon, listening to it, comments amused: “It’s remarkable.” Yuqi doesn’t miss the opportunity: «Right? I think I’m remarkable too.” Once again, irony overlaps artistic reflection, as if one could not exist without the other.
That curiosity continues to be the driving force of the group. It is what allows the five artists to shed their skin without losing their center and to cross different languages without transforming each experiment into a programmatic statement. Soyeon didn’t try to make “a pop record.” The i-dles were looking for something new and fun to do together. It’s a seemingly small distinction, but it’s crucial.
«We want to show the passion we still have»
When looking towards the future, Shuhua doesn’t talk about a particular musical genre or visual concept to explore. It’s about professionalism, growth and passion.
“We want to show how much more professional and cooler we have become,” she explains. «We are trying to show the passion we continue to have».
This is perhaps the word that best defines it (We made). Not just love, but love with strength, intention and temperature. When asked to summarize the album’s atmosphere in one word, Soyeon initially responds: “Love.” Minnie specifies: «Passionate love». Soyeon agrees: “Yes, I think it’s passionate love.”
Two words that contain the entire project. The maturity identified by Miyeon, the warmer side evoked by Minnie, the curiosity defended by Yuqi, the desire to show one’s growth expressed by Shuhua and the collective vision described by Soyeon.
In (We made) i-dles are not looking for a new definition. After having demonstrated that they can continuously cross genres, images and narratives, they seem interested above all in something more difficult: continuing to surprise the public without ceasing to have fun, letting five different identities once again produce a color that belongs to no one else.
