The ‘G’ in (G)I-DLE stands for Gender-Bending
(Not really)
Inspired by the lovely Terry Barr’s recent foray into all things queer and country, today I’d like to shed some light on a group I’ve recently discovered that has an affinity for rattling solid ground.
I’m fairly new to K-pop, which, unfortunately, means I’m very late to discovering some pretty amazing groups. While BLACKPINK was my first introduction into the “genre” last year — I put “genre” in quotes because K-pop isn’t a genre at all — you’ll find elements of every genre in the music that is grouped under this controversial umbrella term — I’ve finally taken the leap into trying out the sounds of newer-to-me, less familiar groups.
It takes a while to get comfortable listening to a genre like this, to feel like you’ve finally gotten your bearings and are safe enough to explore new sounds from other artists. After all, it can be difficult to train your brain to recognize the textures of words unfamiliar to your mother tongue, even if you know the tune (and choreography) by heart.
Listening to music in a foreign language can be intimidating and an instant turn-off to people like myself who deem themselves “lyric people,” but I assure you if you haven’t already taken the leap into music made outside of your homely borders, the phrase, “music is the universal language,” is one-hundred percent true.
It also doesn’t hurt that there are English captions available on most K-pop music videos — press the ‘CC’ button at the bottom right of the screen and choose the option for your preferred language. You can still get your lyric fix and some of the most high-quality, painstakingly detailed music videos you have ever seen.
My most recent discovery in the K-pop rabbit hole is a group called (G)I-DLE that originally debuted in 2018. Now down to five members from its original six, (G)I-DLE is still going strong.
My first introduction to (G)I-DLE came a few weeks ago in the form of a TikTok video of Soyeon, who I now know to be the group leader, producing their latest single called “Nxde.”
In the video, Soyeon struck me as an unstoppable force who knows exactly what she wants. In her head is a plan for every single inflection, pitch, and feeling behind the song's delivery, and she ensures that each group member performs their part to perfection in the recording booth.
After investing deeply in the production of a song I had never heard of from a group I had never heard of, I decided to check out the final product of the song “Nxde.”
In the song's title, an ‘x’ is in place of a ‘u’, perhaps to hint at Korea’s conservative nature, perhaps to draw attention to the explicit implications of the word, or perhaps to draw people in.
Either way, I found the song's message to be very powerful. And, when paired with the Marilyn Monroe and street-artist Bansky-inspired music video, quite frankly, very shocking. You’ll rarely find a K-pop song critiquing society so strongly, let alone a girl group blatantly reclaiming the power of their own bodies (although the message in this song is not a complete anomaly: see Blackpink’s “Tally” or Yunjin of Le Sserafim’s “I ≠ Doll” for reference).
But then I continued to dive into (G)I-DLE’s discography and realized that while rare for K-pop (at least for the K-pop I have personally encountered), powerful messages aren’t unusual for (G)I-DLE.
And then, I noticed an intriguing pattern.
This group questions gender. A lot.
Not just gender roles — which they do question — but every aspect of the word: gender roles, gender expectations, gender discrimination, and even gender itself.
In the music video for the song “Tomboy,” the group members are clad in red and black leather outfits that pay homage to groups like AC/DC and Metallica.
Some of the scenes put a feminine spin on traditionally male-centered images, like when Miyeon throws a heart-shaped lollipop over her shoulder and walks away as it explodes the car behind her — in slow motion.
At the end of the video comes a menacing sequence of barbie-doll-lookalikes of the group members as they poison a Ken doll, transport his body in the trunk of their car, and string him upside down in the air while a Britney-Spears-esque string of “la la la la la la’s” serves as a bare-bones backbeat.
Based on the English translations, the entire song appears to be about being secure in who you are regardless of what people may think of you, especially with gender and all of the expectations society tends to place upon it in a binary fashion.
And that’s all good and well — the first three-quarters of the song didn’t really strike me as anything too profound. But then the song rounds off with a bombastic group chant of the words:
“It’s neither man nor woman, man nor woman.”
What an interesting phrase to repeat for the last fifteen-ish seconds of the track. “Girl power” may be a common topic discussed in music today, but gender fluidity, nonconformity, or anything else of that nature is practically unheard of in a K-pop song.
And right where I have the music video bookmarked, Soyeon, the leader of the group, picks a heart-shaped lollipop off of the ground, licks it, and addresses the camera in plain English:
“You get the song, right? You get what I mean, ‘Tomboy?’”
Did I get it? I’m sure there’s plenty of nuances I’m missing. I wasn’t raised in South Korea, I don’t speak Korean, and I can’t fully understand the cultural context of the lyrics. But I think I understand the gist of the song — so what if you’re a woman? So what if you’re a man? So what if you’re neither?
Your gender doesn’t define you, and to anybody who thinks it does, well, they’ll end up just like Ken.
This next song truly convinced me that (G)I-DLE was not only different but incredibly fearless: “Oh My God,” an entire song about homosexual desire, written by the leader, Soyeon, but sung by the six-person group of very brave, very badass women.
The video begins with Minnie being dragged away, helpless in an all white room, like she’s being locked up in an insane asylum for some sort of crime.
It ends with Minnie rotting in hell.
The entire video is filled with biblical imagery, and every time you watch it, you are sure to unearth even more hidden symbolism than the time before.
It’s also stunning. The shots during the first chorus are some of the most cinematic scenes I have ever watched.
While the earlier lyrics about dangerous love are suggestive of the true meaning of the song, the chorus reveals everything plain as day:
“Oh my God, she took me to the sky / Oh my God, she showed me all the stars”
In an industry like K-pop where idols are forced to follow strict rules, dating rumors could lead to so much controversy that careers end — let alone the speculation of a same-sex relationship.
When asked about the significance of the word “she” used as the subject of temptation throughout the song, Soyeon says:
“I didn’t want to limit that ‘she’ to a certain being or a certain definition, so it’s open to anything. I believe that all kinds of love are valuable and must be respected. That’s why I don’t want to limit ‘she’ to something specific.”
While she never outwardly claims that the song is about homosexual desire, Soyeon’s stance on the matter seems to be clear for the world to see.
And finally, we have arrived at the latest song I have discovered by (G)I-DLE, which gave me the idea to write down the pattern of defiance I have spotted in this group.
Not unlike the others, this music video is full of powerful imagery: crimson robes and bedazzled crowns fit for royalty, gilded frames set on fire, and CGI lions gravitating toward the members as they stand in formation at the top of a grand marble staircase.
It’s also full of powerful sounds: dissonant, a cappella vocals, deep lion roars, driving drums, and a rap section from Soyeon that only continues to intensify as it goes on (English translation below):
“I’ll bite off your useless courtesy
We tear down your suffocating prejudice
Who would dare to stop me
Careful with my sharp claws
I create a new path no one has attempted before
All those condescending people will click their tongues
But the applause I receive after breaking that prejudice is thrilling”
I was not at all surprised to see (G)I-DLE flaunt their power in this song because, as I have learned, the members of this group are a force to be reckoned with.
But what made the song's message so effective was the twist on a commonly used phrase that typically places men at the top of the pack.
You know the phrase “king of the jungle,” but in this song, it’s
“I’m a queen like a lion.”
And here we have it: more plays on gender, more defiance against social roles, and more power to (G)I-DLE for being brave enough to take a stand and stick to it.
I wonder what they’ll come out with next!
Don’t forget to turn on the captions if you decide to watch the videos, and don’t blink — you might miss something important.
Thanks to Terry Barr, Madeline Dovi, and Kevin Alexander :)
