Photo = CUBE ENTERTAINMENT

 

[Hanteo News = Reporter KANG SUYOUNG] i-dle SOYEON revealed the direction of the group’s work on this album.

 

i-dle held a showcase at YES24 Live Hall on the 6th to commemorate the release of its 9th mini album 'We made.' On this day, SOYEON said, “Since we are in our ninth year, we also sometimes get tired of ourselves, and because we wanted to do something newer and something more fun, we ended up taking on so many challenges.”

 

Regarding what led them to attempt change, SOYEON explained, “We thought about so many different things, like what kind of music is good music, whether music that does well with the public is good music, whether trendy music is good music, or whether music that tells our own story is fun even if it may be a little boring. Then I came to think that good music is simply music that anyone can listen to and enjoy, or music through which someone can feel an emotion, and that all of those things are good music. I realized that the essence of music itself has to be good.” She added, “So I think the idea of focusing on the essence naturally became embedded in our songs.”

 

Regarding the album title, she said, “Before our contract renewal, we had the ‘I’ series, like 'I am' and 'I made,' and our previous album was 'We are,'” adding, “This time, the naming actually started from the idea of trying 'We made.'” She continued, “In line with that, we also worked hard to show another new challenge and new things that we made through 'We made.'”

 

Regarding the change in style, MIYEON said, “Because the members have continued producing since long ago, there were times when we felt like we were trapped within ourselves. So this album carries a lot of meaning in the sense that we wanted to go back to the beginning, to zero, when we first liked and loved music, and strengthen that a little more,” adding, “I think it is a very meaningful album for us.”

 

Regarding the new atmosphere as a summer song, SOYEON explained, “For i-dle’s summer songs, there was 'DUMDi DUMDi,' there was 'Klaxon,' and we also released 'HANN' as a summer song in a chilly way,” adding, “Our first thought was that we wanted to show really diverse colors even within the same summer.”

 

Sharing her thoughts on the comeback, MIYEON said, “I can’t believe this is already our 9th mini album, and we are back with a summer song after a long time,” adding, “This time, unlike the summer songs we showed before, it is a song with a hot, fight-fire-with-fire kind of feeling, so I hope many people enjoy it.” MINNIE said, “We prepared really hard and did our very best,” adding, “Please listen to 'Gimme Dat Love' a lot this summer and give it lots of love and interest.”

 

i-dle, which debuted in May 2018, has solidified its position as a global top-tier girl group with its unrivaled musical world and powerful performances. After winning Bonsang at the Hanteo Music Awards for three consecutive years from 2022, the group proved its musical influence by winning the Grand Prize in the digital music category at the 32nd Hanteo Music Awards 2024 with 'Fate.' From its 6th mini album 'I feel' to last year’s 8th mini album 'We are,' i-dle also proved the overwhelming strength of its fandom by recording four consecutive initial chodong million-sellers.

 

The 9th mini album 'We made' is a new release arriving six months after the digital single 'Mono (Feat. skaiwater),' and contains an even stronger pop appeal than before. It includes a total of six tracks, including the title track 'Gimme Dat Love,' with members SOYEON and YUQI listed in the credits.

 

i-dle’s 9th mini album 'We made' will be released through various online music sites at 6 PM on this day. Attention is focused on what kind of new summer i-dle, which has continued its streak of four consecutive initial chodong million-sellers, will create with this album.

 

grace@hanteo.com