It always starts here: with the voice. In K-pop that runs at 180 bpm between hyper-produced concepts and hooks designed for trends, MIYEON of i-dle chooses the most difficult and simplest path at the same time: putting the voice back at the center, making it breathe, forcing it to tell the truth. “MY, Lover” is his second mini album and is not a side chapter to the group’s work: it is a perimeter in itself, built to talk about love not as a genre, but as a method. A method that starts from farewell, passes through the waste of what remains (lingering feelings), stops on the edge of regret, is reflected in reflection, then chooses healing, until arriving at devotion. There is no rhetoric: there is an ordered, declared, desired emotional map.
The entry point is “Say My Name”, a pop ballad with a clear design: piano to define the melodic axis, rhythmic writing that raises and lowers the breath, vocal stratifications dosed like a crescendo that never explodes to please. The chorus — “You say my name” — is not just the hook, it is the question of identity that runs through the record: calling something by name means recognizing it, and recognizing oneself is the true thesis of the project. MIYEON here doesn’t run, doesn’t push: she sharpens. Let the echo remain on purpose, “even after the separation”, as stated in the concept, because that is where pop stops being a formula and becomes a story again.
Those who know the dynamics of the industry immediately see the change in structure: the soloist who does not seek the dramatic twist, but the semantic field. “MY, Lover” is not a cosmetic interlude: it is an operation of maturity. The official narrative explicitly talks about “meeting a more mature version of oneself”: it is the key to reading everything else. It is not a question of “detaching” oneself from the group – it would be a critical shortcut – but rather of bringing out an authorial curvature: the gaze, the measure, the choice to keep the arrangement at the service of the text and not the other way around. This is where the declared creativity really comes in, not as a stamp but as architecture: MIYEON puts himself inside the song not to fill it, but to empty it of what is not needed.
Within this frame, love is dissected with surgical precision. The part is the trauma (parting), the residue is the memory (lingering feelings), the possible guilt is regret (regret), the junction is reflection (reflection), the desired outcome is healing (healing), the destination is devotion (devotion). Six thematic focuses that are not a list of moods, but a path: from the private to the language, from the emotion to the act. Because the poetics of the album is all in the action of naming: naming love, naming detachment, naming the new self. Hence the title that plays on “MY, Lover”: comma included, as if to establish a pause, a choice, an invocation.
You don’t need to shout to move the axis. At a time when the K-pop scene is experiencing yet another golden season of female solo performers, here is a performer who returns to being an interpreter. The lexicon is that of cleanliness: piano, rhythm, voice. But underneath is the trend that matters — the return of the well-written emotional story, which doesn’t ask the production to replace the writing, but to frame it. It is a counter-current gesture precisely because it is not spectacular: it shifts the attention from the effect to permanence.
This, in the end, is the point: “MY, Lover” doesn’t try to convince, it claims to stay. And “Say My Name” is his signature, the autograph on the edge. Call her name, MIYEON says. And calling it by name, what remains – after the part, after the regret – is a musical identity that has given itself a new form.
Panorama spoke exclusively with her.
Could you introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi everyone, I’m i-dle, and I’m back with my second mini album (MY, Lover)!
Your new mini album (MY, Lover) explores love from many angles — separation, longing, regret, healing. What was the spark that inspired this concept?
I didn’t intend to initially focus on the theme of love, and the album didn’t even have a title at first. As I recorded the songs that I really liked, I realized that there was a common thread that united them, and that’s how it was born (MY, Lover). Also, compared to my previous album, I wanted to express more maturity and deeper emotions, and I think this naturally led me towards the theme of love.
You actively participated in the creative process of this project. How important was it for you to show this more personal and mature side?
For this album, I tried to work on the aspects that I felt I could improve on from the previous one. During this process I really felt my growth and gained the confidence that I can do even better next time. I think listeners can hear this growth and confidence in this album too.
The album feels like a dialogue between your past and present self. Did you discover anything new about yourself while making it?
While working on this album, I realized that I am someone who can be afraid of challenges but, at the same time, feel excited by them. I think I even managed to enjoy the difficulties of the process. It’s thanks to the extraordinary people I worked with, but it was also like discovering a new part of myself.
The title track “Say My Name” is described as a pop ballad that perfectly captures your essence. What makes this song so special to you?
At first I never imagined that a ballad about a broken heart would be chosen as the title track. Also, compared to the previous “Drive”, I think this song has almost the opposite vibe, but I chose it by completely trusting myself. In this sense, it was a challenge, and for this reason it has a particular meaning for me.
Many fans describe your voice as powerful and fragile at the same time. How do you balance these two qualities when recording?
Rather than trying to use both styles at the same time in a balanced way, I choose the tone or expression of the voice based on the mood of the song or the role I’m playing. As the main vocalist of (G)I-DLE, I often sing the choruses, where I tend to use a more powerful voice. But when I work on a solo song, I have to carry the whole song with just my voice. In those cases I try to use a wide spectrum of expressions, from the softest and most delicate tones to the strong and intense ones, to create a narrative and emotional flow throughout the piece.
Compared to your first solo project, what do you think has changed most in your art with this second mini album?
In creating and tackling an album as an artist, I don’t think there’s a huge difference between my first and my second mini album. I put my whole heart into both. But in the time between them I have grown a lot, both as an artist and as a person. I believe this growth naturally emerges in my second mini album, and I hope listeners can feel this journey and evolution through my music.
Your work always touches fans deeply. When you write, do you think about the audience or do you create first and foremost for yourself?
When I create an album, I always think about my fans, but I also believe that if I want to make a song that I’m truly proud of, I can’t compromise. I spend a lot of time trying to find the right balance between what fans can relate to and what I want to express. I’m really happy with this album and I hope it’s something my fans can connect with and genuinely enjoy.
Healing and dedication are two strong themes in this project. How do you personally find healing in music? How has music given you strength or comfort?
I believe that music has the power to give strength and comfort, both to those who listen to it and to those who sing it. As I recorded each song on this album, I felt that comfort and healing even more deeply. Just spending time singing each track brought me peace, and just as I found comfort in recording them, I hope listening to them can give others rest and strength. Above all, I hope that people can enjoy music in a relaxed and pleasant way.
The images of (MY, Lover) they are as impactful as the music. How involved were you in the aesthetic direction?
I was involved in the whole process of the album. I worked closely on many aspects, such as styling and makeup, discussing and experimenting with different ideas to make the album as perfect as possible.
Looking back, what moment in the recording or production process of this album do you treasure the most?
As I participated more deeply in the creation of this album and put a lot of care and thought into every step, every moment of the process stayed close to my heart. But what I treasure most is the moment I first listened to all eight complete tracks one after the other, after finishing the recordings. Hearing the songs come together like this gave me a deep sense of accomplishment, and that’s why this album is so dear to me.
If you could send one message through this album to listeners around the world, what would it be?
I worked hard to convey emotions during the recording of each song, paying attention to every nuance and detail. I hope that through this album listeners can perceive the many aspects and levels of love and experience the depth and variety of emotions that each song brings with it.
Finally, if you had to define yourself with just one word, what would it be?
I would describe myself as a question mark. I’m still discovering who I really am and I can’t predict exactly who I will become in the future. But this uncertainty excites me, and I can’t wait to see the person I will continue to grow into, learning more about myself, and embracing all the changes and experiences that come.
