Here are my credentials (again): I’ve been a casual fan since around 2020 and a Neverland since a little after “I Burn” came out. I even used HWAA as the inspiration for an art piece I had due. So none of my criticism I say is an attack on them; I’m being harsher than usual because this is a review after all.

(Part One)

Album #1: I Never Die

After a year-long hiatus following Soojin leaving the group, we have Tomboy. Let’s level with ourselves here: Tomboy is not a good song. Is it catchy? Yes. Is it entertaining? Yes. Is it imprinted on my brain so much that I know every word and sing along whenever I hear it? Absolutely. But it’s not a good song, guys, I’m sorry. (If I’m dead tomorrow, we know who to blame). Though I appreciate the point it was trying to make in regards to breaking the stereotype of “the perfect girlfriend” and I totally understand why it became a song that many people connected to, as it stands, it’s a bit hard to not laugh. I do admit that it’s a catchy song, especially the pop punk influences and the guitar riffs, and when I approach it like I do War Of Hormone by BTS (not taking it too seriously and enjoying it at face value), I do enjoy it.

My Bag, which was also promoted as a single with the album, unlike with Tomboy, has never been a song I’ve enjoyed. There are parts of it that I like (like Yuqi’s rap around the 1 minute mark or Miyeon’s quieter, more melodic moment to shine around the 2 minute part), but I just can’t get past the incredibly grating effect that that chorus has on me. This is more of a personal issue than anything else though.

From the first full album, I Never Die, I enjoyed the full-on grungier rock of Never Stop Me, the great guitar riffs in Liar, the sweet reminiscence in quasi-ballad Polaroid, and especially the nostalgic synths and let’s-run-away-together lyrics of Escape, which was my hidden gem. I still have no idea why, out of all of these great tracks, My Bag was the one chosen as a special track.

EP #5: I Love

Nxde follows Tomboy’s example of making a grand statement, this time delving more into misogyny and the sexualization of both young girls and idols. It uses the aesthetics of 20’s burlesque to 50’s glamor, and uses a sample from the famous opera Carmen alongside very high strings, swingy jazz instruments, and synths, intentionally using sarcastic lyrics about the ideas people hold on the word “nude” in the “why do you think that about ‘nude’? ‘Cause your view’s so rude. Think outside the box! Speak out!” Though I appreciate this song more than I like it, and don’t find myself replaying it often, I do really respect what they set out to do here, and I think that on the whole, they’ve succeeded.

From the EP, I Love, my favorite was actually a song almost all in English, Change, which is unusual for me. It reflects on fame and how it doesn’t stop loneliness, but instead increases the feeling that no one could possibly understand. In truth, it’s a very sad song, especially because it’s self-penned. I both hope that it doesn’t reflect their own feelings and hope it does.

EP #6: I Feel

Pre-release single Allergy is a perfect example of (G)I-DLE’s message done very well. It’s catchy, with a 2000’s teen pop style, it makes a great point, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously, managing both to critique the high standards placed on women’s bodies and discuss self-hatred, and have a good laugh at the pettiness of teenagers and social media. All in all, it’s something that I hope (G)I-DLE’ does again.

Queencard picks up where Allergy left off, but doesn’t quite stick the landing. Though it has a pretty great first minute, second verse, and especially outro, its chorus is…not it. Though it’s absolutely a satire, the chorus is just too silly and harsh when compared with the rest of the song. The same issues I had with Tomboy repeat in Queencard, where the underlying ideas and themes are really good, and I genuinely do respect what they were trying to do, but I think that the song needed to go through just a bit more workshopping for it to work here. Again though, I really do like that outro, and I wish it was used consistently as a post-chorus.

From the EP, though I enjoyed the sweet lyrics of Paradise and the distortion in Lucid, my hidden gem was definitely Peter Pan. For a group with a name that translates to child (“aideul”), they have a lot to say about growing up, and that’s really reflected here, as the girls reflect on lost childhood, the promises made to their parents, and how they’re not quite grown up just yet. Though we aren’t the same age, I could still find a piece of myself in this one, and it became a favorite of mine.

I think that, as (G)I-DLE’ gained more creative control and began writing every song themselves, the b-sides got much stronger in meaning and the EPs began to feel more cohesive in sound and message. As the titles have gotten flashier, their b-sides have been able to become pared down and vulnerable in a really lovely way.

EP #7: HEAT

I Do is (G)I-DLE’s English debut, and the MV tells the story of a shapeshifting alien (played by all five members) and the human boy she falls in love with. It’s a synthy, spacey, city pop sound that’s new for the group, and while it plays it a little safe and lacks the social messages that are (G)I-DLE’’s signature, I enjoy the spotlight it gives to their voices and how much fun they seemed to have shooting it. It’s a solid song, don’t get me wrong, it just doesn’t feel like them.

I didn’t have a hidden gem from the EP.

Album #2: TWO

Though (G)I-DLE’ did have their English language release in the meantime, pre-release Wife comes around eight months after I Feel. This is definitely one of those songs that toes the line between making commentary and being slightly insane, and if Tomboy was strange, this one is off the rails. With all five members dressed in matching oversized white track suits with bright blue bobs while they sing-talk and awkwardly dance their way through lines like “won’t be your wife, but she is.” Full disclosure, I hated this on first listen but it’s shockingly grown on me. The lyrics are surprisingly explicit for K-pop, and i think that the combination of that and the ridiculous clothes makes for quite an amusing social commentary on the expectations for “wives” vs “girlfriends” in Korea. I can’t say it’s my favorite (G)I-DLE’ song by any stretch, but I can appreciate it for what it is.

Super Lady, right from the start, screams “(G)I-DLE’” in a way that really feels like a follow up to Lion. It’s absolutely an anthem, with a driving drum beat, the barely repressed anger, and of course the “Onward ladies, follow ladies” refrain, and reminds me of a 4th Gen version of 2NE1’s classic “I Am The Best” (naega jeil jal naga, motherfucker) . This has such a great build up in the pre-chorus, and though I don’t think its anti-drop quite follows as well as a pay off should, I’m surprisingly not mad at it. That outro is probably my favorite part and had me nodding my head, and overall I’m confident in saying that Super Lady is my favorite title of theirs since HWAA.

From 2, the 2nd Full Album, I enjoyed the slow, sensual build and pay-off in Revenge, the dreaminess in Vision (which is the first song Miyeon’s written!), the light beat of all-English 7Days, and the great lyrics of Fate (which was absolutely my hidden gem), describing everyday life when something—or someone—happens to change it forever.

EP #8: I Sway

Klaxon hits the ground running with its first line being “It’s time for summer!” From there, it just doesn’t slow down, with a sense of youthful abandon that’s unusual in their music. Incorporating a hip-hop base with these joyful brassy flares every so often, its chorus is instantly sing-able. Is it my favorite (G)I-DLE song? No. But it’s a hell of a good time, and you better believe it’ll be on all my summer playlists.

From the EP, I Sway, I liked every song. I enjoyed the spacey synths of Last Forever and the gentle sway (sorry, couldn’t resist) of Bloom. But my hidden gem, as I knew it would be, was Neverland. Longtime readers will know that I am, first and foremost, a sap. An acoustic-guitar led, self-composed song about encouraging someone to follow their dreams? It may as well be delivered to my doorstep with a bow. It doesn’t quite eclipse Peter Pan for me, but it’s a worthy successor.

EP #9: We Are

There’s few things I enjoy more than a reach-for-the-stars you-got-this anthem, especially one that picks up all women and not just the ones singing. So of course I loved Girlfriend from the first listen. The MV is a nod to their previous song Revenge, which also features the girls enacting a kind of vigilante justice against a man who wronged a woman they care about, but this time it’s a much more expansive message. I’m honestly shocked that they’ve gotten away with some of the lyrics, which include the hook of “I don’t give a fuck about love!”, “your girlfriend is better than a boyfriend”, and the blistering “his night is only five seconds” line too. The song itself, besides its great messaging, is just so much fun on its own too, and feels like exactly what it is: a celebration of girlhood and female friendship and all the tears and joy that come with it.

I’m not the first—or probably the thousandth—person to compare Good Thing to a lot of classic 2nd gen kpop songs, and I definitely won’t be the last. From its delightfully nonsensical lyrics to its vintage electro beat to its intentionally ridiculous styling, it manages to both be an homage to those who came before and a self-aware send-up of stereotypes about kpop. I was actually expecting not to like it from just hearing its titular hook, but I’m happy to report that its chorus is actually much more sprawling, with the hook as a post-chorus. It’s Klaxon taken up to 100, and I love it.

From the EP, I enjoyed the confident, club-ready Love Tease and the laid-back sound of Unstoppable, but my hidden gem was the elegant, slowly-building If You Want, which goes full on ballad. I’m so excited that every single member had a song or two that they wrote and / or composed, especially because Shuhua’s never done it before and Miyeon’s never written on her own or composed before. Each of them have such distinct song signatures too. It makes the album title only feel more apt, and it makes me, a long-time Neverland, feel incredibly proud.

Verdict: TL;DR

Overall, I’m very glad I did this! This discography deep dive has really made me enjoy I-DLE’s work, and I’ve begun to appreciate a lot of b-sides I never gave the time of day before. And, in this redo, I fell in love with their music all over again. As I’ve gone through this, I’ve also noticed that their voices form a really nice harmony. Soyeon’s is harsh and sharp. Miyeon’s is high and polished. Minnie’s leans into ethereal sometimes. Yuqi’s deep soulfulness is reminiscent of Adele (who she’s actually covered!). And Shuhua’s sometimes soft, sometimes powerful mezzo floats in the middle, rounding them out.

My Top 5 would be Lion, HWAA, Peter Pan, HANN: Alone In Winter, and Put It Straight, with Escape and Allergy as honorable mentions. I-DLE gets a 9.0 out of 10 from me, a number that seems to be steadily increasing with every new comeback: overall pretty great, with a couple dips, and definitely some highlights. Though I do have some issues with their discography, I can see how much work and time goes into it from them, and I don’t feel like those problems are caused by laziness or a company shilling out half-baked songs, but rather just personal opinion.

So, I’ll see you next time, for a boy group’s discography! Tschüss!