Nabil Luqman

0f9d2dd4f71434084e2b6094de1865e23abb37bb9f28ca51feeabee679ec9be2

Social

kpop

new music

South Korea

IDLE

new name

new identity

We_Are

K-pop girl group I-DLE, formerly known as (G)I-DLE, have officially launched a new chapter in their career, marked by a striking rebrand and the release of their eighth mini-album We Are. The move, unveiled around their seventh anniversary, has sparked wide discussion among fans and industry watchers alike.
The quintet &mdash; made up of Soyeon, Minnie, Yuqi, Miyeon, and Shuhua &mdash; announced earlier this May that they would drop the &ldquo;(G)&rdquo; and the Korean word for &ldquo;female&rdquo; (여자/yeoja) from their group name. This decision reflects both a symbolic and artistic shift, aiming to shed gendered expectations and fully embrace their evolving identity as a group.
&ldquo;It Feels Like We&rsquo;ve Found Our True Name&rdquo;
&nbsp;<img src="https://r2.myc.my/c1ac64e864d80b88b24cae347134fd4b6a7a94f7539dd62c7a4104e5e5a3796d" />
At a press conference held on 19 May 2025 at the Chosun Palace in Gangnam, Seoul, the group spoke candidly about the reasons behind their rebranding and the creative direction of their new album.
Miyeon shared that the decision had been discussed for years. &ldquo;From the start, we were a bit confused about why the &lsquo;G&rsquo; was there. It always felt unnecessary. Now, it really feels like we&rsquo;ve finally found our true name,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a weight off our shoulders.&rdquo;
Yuqi added with a laugh, &ldquo;We used the old name for seven years, so I still sometimes slip up and say the &lsquo;G&rsquo; out of habit. But we&rsquo;re getting used to it, and we hope fans will too.&rdquo;
Cube Entertainment, the group&rsquo;s agency, had earlier stated that the change signified I-DLE would no longer be defined by gender or labels, promising &ldquo;limitless music and concepts moving forward&rdquo;.
All Members Renew Contracts and Contribute Creatively
&nbsp;<img src="https://r2.myc.my/f73b18d1fe1351d8ca3b6d879e12dd91e0d3810cdacfea5f56874498db7d74ee" />
The release of We Are is especially meaningful as it marks I-DLE&rsquo;s first comeback in 10 months &mdash; since the 2024 mini-album Klaxon &mdash; and the first since all five members renewed their contracts with Cube Entertainment. This reaffirmation of unity has deepened their group dynamic and sparked new levels of collaboration.
For the first time in I-DLE&rsquo;s career, every member took part in the songwriting and composition process. Leader Soyeon, who has long served as the group&rsquo;s creative spearhead, said she had some initial concerns. &ldquo;I was a bit worried about whether we could pull it off, but it turned out to be a fun and meaningful experience.&rdquo;
From &ldquo;I&rdquo; to &ldquo;We&rdquo;: A Shift in Philosophy
<iframe style="border-radius: 12px;" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/4vj008nVDYfO4m75ZT1VBu?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" loading="lazy"></iframe>
We Are also signals the end of I-DLE&rsquo;s long-running &ldquo;I&rdquo; album series, which began with their debut EP I Am. The new &ldquo;We&rdquo; theme aims to reflect the group&rsquo;s sense of unity, shared narratives, and mutual growth.
Soyeon explained, &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve always had strong individual identities, but now we&rsquo;re stepping forward as one. It&rsquo;s about expressing our stories together, not just as individuals.&rdquo;
The album features six tracks, including the title song &ldquo;Good Thing&rdquo; and the pre-release single &ldquo;Girlfriend&rdquo;. Each member contributed to specific tracks, bringing their personal perspectives and styles into the mix:
<ul>
<li>&ldquo;Good Thing&rdquo; (produced by Soyeon): A bold, autotune-heavy track inspired by early 2010s K-pop, lyrically centred on confronting a cheating lover &mdash; a theme rarely tackled by female acts in this way.</li>
<li>&ldquo;Love Tease&rdquo; (produced by Yuqi): A disco-inspired melody-first track that Yuqi described as her personal favourite.</li>
<li>&ldquo;Chain&rdquo; (co-written by Minnie): A metaphor-laden piece about relationships that bind people together, whether romantically or within the group.</li>
<li>&ldquo;Unstoppable&rdquo; (composed by Miyeon): A motivational anthem about resilience, with themes she hopes are universally relatable.</li>
<li>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s Okay&rdquo; (lyrics by Shuhua): Her first foray into lyric writing, encouraged by Soyeon, who praised her for using fresh, unconventional Korean expressions.</li>
</ul>
Shuhua beamed during the press event, saying, &ldquo;Making music was so fun, I&rsquo;d love to try composing someday too.&rdquo;
A Reinvention Met With Mixed Emotions &amp; Embracing Complexity and Criticism
&nbsp;<img src="https://r2.myc.my/03f8f441df12db2f7b9b59b16a58706e71653b2deb90c5a03bc7fc5cb27b6dbc" />
As part of the rebranding, I-DLE also re-recorded nine of their earlier songs. Notably, these versions no longer include the vocals of former member Soojin, who left the group in 2021. While some fans welcomed the update, others expressed concern that it felt like an erasure of her legacy in the group&rsquo;s discography.
Nevertheless, the re-recordings reflect I-DLE&rsquo;s desire to move forward with their current identity and musical direction.
I-DLE has always been known for bold themes and confident, self-assured lyrics &mdash; seen in past hits like &ldquo;Tomboy&rdquo;, &ldquo;Nxde&rdquo;, and &ldquo;Queencard&rdquo;. However, they&rsquo;ve also drawn criticism over intense dieting regimes and provocative imagery.
Soyeon addressed this tension, saying, &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t make songs to push a message. We just express what we&rsquo;re feeling at the time. It might seem contradictory, but it&rsquo;s really about showing different sides of ourselves.&rdquo;
She added that although external opinions sometimes influence their thoughts, the creative process remains instinctive. &ldquo;Songs are abstract by nature &mdash; it&rsquo;s easy for things to be misunderstood. But we focus on what excites us in the moment.&rdquo;
Eyes on the Future
&nbsp;<img src="https://r2.myc.my/e99dfcadf0fa51deef78e324679fe0237a08dbecc45b090b196b27ab10d18fc8" />
Looking ahead, I-DLE remain driven yet down-to-earth. Yuqi joked she&rsquo;d shave her head if they topped Billboard, prompting Soyeon to quip, &ldquo;She might just have to!&rdquo; Their renewed contracts come with better terms, but Soyeon stressed the importance of fairness on both sides. Despite ups and downs, Yuqi said the group&rsquo;s honesty and bond keep them strong.
With We Are, I-DLE aren&rsquo;t just dropping an album &mdash; they&rsquo;re reshaping their identity. Through collaboration, bold choices, and staying true to themselves, they continue to forge a distinct path in K-pop.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments. 
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*Sources: Visual and Reference Credits to Social Media &amp; various cross-references for context.
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A bold new chapter: Fresh name, renewed contract, and creative reinvention.

48359e4b5cd87586e342c125435eac5ed0acba9ec30df0366c4fc6d78f86eb80

I-DLE Embrace New Era with Bold Rebrand And Collaborative Album ‘We Are’

I-DLE Embrace New Era with Bold Rebrand And Collaborative Album ‘We Are’

A bold new chapter: Fresh name, renewed contract, and creative reinvention.

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