Jeon Soyeon, or, really just “Soyeon”, requires very little introduction from me, but here’s one anyway. She first came into the kpop world at age 17 on the TV competition show “Unpretty Rap Star”, and though she didn’t win her season, she never really left. Differently from the vast majority of idols, Soyeon debuted as a self-produced soloist before forming (G)I-DLE (or *idle, as they’re now called) with Minnie, Cho Miyeon, Yeh Shuhua, and Song Yuqi.

Here are my credentials: If you’ve followed this blog for any amount of time, you’ll know that I’m a (G)I-DLE fan through and through. They’re one of my all time favorite groups, and actually the first review I ever wrote (read that here). Though I have trouble picking a bias, Soyeon has a special place in my heart, and really, there’s no (G)I-DLE without her. So, when I heard that she was not only coming out with a new solo album but doing it right around the blog’s 3rd anniversary, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to give her the spotlight she deserves. So, let’s get into it!

Single #1: Smile (Unpretty Rapstar)

As mentioned earlier, Soyeon got her start on the competition show Unpretty Rapstar, so I wanted to include at least one of the tracks she wrote for it, and went with Smile because it’s my favorite. Smile plays to Soyeon’s strengths, for sure; powerful lyrics, societal commentary, and of course, incredible rapping. She sing-talks a mile-a-minute, and for a song that’s barely over three, she packs so much in, from criticism of the starvation diets idols are forced to endure (“I eat the birthday cake alone in the corner of the practice room // I starve again to survive.”) to the complicated dichotomy of being a girl in a male-dominated field (“I’m a woman but because I’m a rapper I don’t want your pity”. )

Being seventeen years old and managing not only to write a song reflecting on the hardest time in your life, but to then perform it on television, and turn it into commentary on the practices of the kpop industry and encouragement for any young women following after you is not something every idol could do. I’d especially recommend watching the live video of this; I tear up every time Soyeon runs to her dad in the audience and tells him he doesn’t have to worry—she’s going to be okay.

Single #2: Jelly

Two years on from Smile, and we meet Soyeon at nineteen: bleach-blonde, about to debut in (G)I-DLE, and with her first music video, Jelly. Simple but effective, Jelly has an old hip-hop sensibility, with stop-and-start verses that bop along. infectiously Different from the majority of Soyeon’s work with (G)I-DLE, Jelly isn’t really a song that’s trying to make a point or start a conversation, it’s just fun, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. While I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to it, I don’t dislike it either, and I think it’s a good encapsulation of where she was then. Basically, Jelly is a weird little song, and it may not be for everyone, but it makes me smile.

Single #3: Idle Song

The second of Soyeon’s solos before she became the leader of (G)I-DLE, Idle Song functions both as a single and as a subtle spoiler. From the ripping of calendar pages to May (their debut date) to the references to waiting to even a surprise appearance by her future bandmate Soojin, the whole thing is tongue-in-cheek in quite a clever way. Despite all this, Idle Song grooves along without a care in the world, the kind of song you’d listen to walking down the street, headphones on, in the first scene of a chick flick. (Which I mean as a compliment, by the way.) Idle Song is cute and worms its way into your head. It feels like an experiment, with its always changing beats and its weird variety of instruments—guitar, synthesizer, even a xylophone at one point—and while it doesn’t succeed at every point, it’s still a pretty solid song.

EP #1: Windy

Beam Beam starts where Idle Song left off three years before, with clever lyrics about the struggles of adulthood and shout outs to her love of skateboarding, rap battles, and old school hip-hop. It’s a sunny yet sardonic look back at life from age 24, acknowledging both how far she’s come and how much she still has to learn. It’s still Soyeon, only heightened and refined. Being a (G)I-DLE fan, I can recognize her songwriting hallmarks start to take shape in Beam Beam: her love of onomatopoeia, tongue-in-cheek lyrics, bright colors, and sneaking in social commentary. While I wasn’t sold on it when it first came out, the more time passes, the more I like it.

From the EP, I enjoyed the horror comedy homages in Psycho, the mile-a-minute rap in Quit, and of course the features from BIBI and Lee Youngji in Is This Bad Bitch Number? My hidden gem was Weather, with its relaxed, confident delivery, simple yet catchy groove, and solid beat.

Single #4: I Hate Vegetables (야채 싫어 송)

I admit it. If someone had looked me in the eyes when I was writing my first ever review and said: “Anna, one day, three years from now, this will lead you to sit down to watch a video of cartoon Jeon Soyeon viciously murdering vegetables with a katana,” I think I may have put my yellow notepad down right there. But here we are, and no, I am not kidding and yes, this song is ridiculous. as you think it’s going to be.

For a little background: famously, among Neverland (I-dle’s fans), Soyeon hates vegetables with a passion, and originally wrote this song as a joke, before deciding to release it with an animated video as a treat for fans. If you’re wondering why I’m bothering to cover it, it’s because, ridiculous as it may sound, I think the song encapsulates Soyeon quite well. While the chorus is simple and intentionally childish, like a toddler throwing a tantrum, the verses are actually quite cleverly written. “This bastard, the onion, his tearful acting doesn’t work on me,” she says at one point. Another of my favorites: “The lotus root is basically the national pension fund,” referring to the stereotype that only old people eat it. If you have a spare two minutes, I’d say that you should give it a listen, if only to laugh.

Album #1: What A Wonderful Life

Five long years after Beam Beam and her first EP, Soyeon makes her return with 퇴사 할게여 (I’m Gonna Quit), a stubbornly upbeat, delightfully off-kilter song that has her playing a fed-up salarywoman who finally declares that enough is enough. Soyeon has often received criticism for her English lyrics in I-dle’s songs and it feels very intentional that a song so firmly anchored in Korean culture is sung without a word of English. From the Noraebang Karaoke to the references to classic dramas to the vintage 2000s filter, I’m Gonna Quit is a love letter to the everyday Korean. And throughout the music video, Soyeon displays the kind of defiance that is often frowned upon in polite society: she topples over her desk, she runs down the street without a care in the world, and she tells her boss to shove it in no uncertain terms. In short, it’s absolutely glorious.

With I’m Gonna Quit comes What A Wonderful Life, Soyeon’s first full album. In true Soyeon style, she explores a dozen genres in half as many songs, from the rap-led Bankroll to the mile-a-minute chiptune of Ice Blue Rabbit, about her alter ago. Star leans into early-mid 2000s pop a la 2NE1 and F(x), while Amigo goes full-on-dancefloor. My personal favorite, Would You Love Me, gives Soyeon’s honestly underrated vocals a time to shine. She may not have your “typical” kpop voice, but Would You Love Me proves her capable of rapping, singing, and really delivering on the emotion in a lovely package.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this! I’ve been a (G)I-DLE, idle, or whatever you want to call them, fan since 2021, and with them being the first group I ever covered, this felt like a really great full-circle moment for the blog’s third anniversary. While I can’t say that this review has made me a fan, since I already was one, I had a great time learning more about Soyeon and her time on Unpretty Rapstar. While editing, as per usual, I watched some behind the scenes content; this time, it was I-dle playing Truth or Dare with Teen Vogue and some videos on I-dle’s channel of the making of her album. I loved getting insight into her creative process,

My Top 5 songs were I’m Gonna Quit, Windy, Would You Love Me, Star, and Beam Beam, with Amigo as an honorable mention. Soyeon gets an 8.5 out of 10 from me, which you might be a bit surprised about. To explain, a lot of Soyeon’s solo music isn’t exactly my style. I tend to gravitate towards songs that are vocal-focused, or have a strong driving beat, while she clearly prefers a more hip-hop heavy sound. But there’s no denying the level of talent and thought and artistry that goes into Soyeon’s music, from the lyrics to the ways she chooses to reveal concepts to…well, basically everything else. Soyeon is an excellent writer, yes, but her real importance goes beyond that. She (and I-dle) are proof that you don’t have to be silent on societal issues, that you don’t have to always listen to the company, that you don’t have to pander to a male audience and demurely refuse to comment. You can grab a mic and stand front and center on stage, singing a song you wrote, and you can still be successful.

Throughout this review, my mind kept going to the late Sulli of F(x), and her famous quote, “They say ‘women shouldn’t talk too much or have strong opinions’. All of that was the opposite of who I was. We need more women to speak up. Women can get angry too.” I can’t help but think of how proud Sulli would be that an idol who she only knew as a rookie has done just that, has spoken up, has continued her legacy. It makes me proud to be a fan of both of them.

Next time, we’re onto a girl group. Tschüss, 안녕!, and Goodbye!