As I have mentioned so many times on this blog, TikTok has become one of my favorite ways to discover new music. Besides the fact that it has helped expose me to a plethora of rising independent artists who otherwise would not get that kind of exposure if it weren’t for TikTok, it has also helped me learn about and find out about a lot of popular artists around the world that I normally would not hear. I have taken a liking to and have started to admire a lot of K-Pop artists over the last couple of years, and TikTok is one of the main reasons for this. One artist that I discovered on TikTok earlier this year that has become one of my new obsessions in music is (G) I-DLE. (G)I-DLE is a five-member group that consists of Soyeon, Minnie, Miyeon, Yuqi, and Shuhua. They took TikTok by storm back in the spring when their single ‘Queencard’ went viral, and I have been so excited about them ever since. Multiple things about (G) I-DLE make them different from their peers. For one, (G) I-DLE is not signed to one of the major K-Pop music labels. Instead of getting the kind of forced exposure some of their peers have gotten, (G)I-dle’s rise to fame has been more homegrown and natural. (G)I-DLE has also been known for writing and producing most of their own music. Because of this, a lot of their music has had a lot more of a mature and risqué feeling than most other K-Pop music. (G)I-DLE has been able to make dynamic, adult-themed music that caters to an older crowd because they have not been weighed down by outside producers. After the success of their first project of 2023, I Feel, which came out back in May, (G) I-DLE is already back with a new EP called HEAT. This is the group’s first project entirely in English, as they are trying to capitalize on their success in the Western world and give back to those fans. What is ironic about their new release, HEAT, is the fact that this EP does not have any production credits from the members of (G) I-DLE. It is interesting to see if this album still has the kind of riveting production and passion that their previous releases had, considering the girls did not make any of these songs. With that being said, here is how I feel about (G) I-DLE’s new EP HEAT. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from this project, and also comment on how you feel about it as a whole.
(G) I-DLE gets HEAT started with the EP’s lead single, ‘I DO.’ This track was originally released back in the middle of July. I have already written about this song in a list of some of my favorite new K-Pop songs that I wrote around the time it came out(go back and read that review for more great tracks to listen to if you have not yet when you are finished here). ‘I DO’ is a song that leans into the 80s New Wave/Synth-Pop trend that has been taking over Pop music over the last couple of years. It seems inspired by the popular recent music from artists like The Weeknd or Dua Lipa. The instrumental for this track is so light and cold. It is driven by heavily distorted and chilly synths that sound like they are hitting you from all directions and are complemented by robotic sound effects. This melody is put on top of a beat that is driven by deep synths that fit the brisk feeling of the rest of the melody. The vocals on this song are clear and crisp, fitting the emotional feeling that the instrumental has. Every member of the group demonstrates a softness to their delivery that is perfect for this melody. Miyeon’s vocals especially stand out on this track, as the high notes she hits on this track take it to another level and make it pop so much. ‘I DO’ is a sweet love song where the members of (G) I-DLE are pleading to their significant other not to fall in love with someone else. ‘I Want That’ is the second single released from this project, having come out on the day that HEAT came out. ‘I Want That’ has quickly emerged as one of my current favorite songs; I have had this one on repeat all day every day since it came out. This song has the kind of dark House music-driven Synth-Pop sound that Lady Gaga and Britney Spears made popular in the early 2010s. When I hear this one, I think of songs like Lady Gaga’s ‘Scheibe’ or Britney Spears’ ‘Work, Bitch.’ If you know me, you know that I love this kind of music, so it is easy to see why this would be my kind of song. This instrumental is driven by a deep, low, upbeat bassline with such a dark feeling to it. It has the kind of groovy bassline that makes me want to dance the night away when I hear it. The melody and beat on this track are kind of morphed into one, creating this awesome fusion of Dance music that is so riveting. The vocal performances on this song are not overly striking, but they do fit the downtempo feeling of the song. Yuqi and Shuhua especially stand out on this one. Yuqi’s deep vocals sound so natural on this track, and Shuhua’s lofty pitch contrasts it nicely. On ‘I Want That,’ (G) I-DLE is comparing a relationship to the fast life. They are stating that they do not want things to be easy or simple because that is not fun.
‘Eyes Roll’ is another track that is inspired by early to mid-2010s Synth-Pop music. There is a Latin element to this track as well. There are elements to the melody that come in and out that make me think of Latin House music. To be honest, if one were to tell me that this was an instrumental made by Major Lazer back in the day, I would probably believe them. The instrumental is driven by funky, warm synths that are put on top of a fast, sort of glitchy beat. To be honest, this instrumental just kind of feels outdated. It is still enjoyable for sure, but it does not hit as much as the ones on the first two tracks because it is not as complex and does not highlight any of the vocals from the members of (G) I-DLE very well. Out of all of the vocal performances, Soyeon’s does stand out the most. Her nasally and aggressive tone fits this track the best and makes it hit hard. On ‘Eyes Roll,’ (G) I-DLE is singing about how they know that they can be tough to date because of their fiery personalities and attitudes. ‘Flip It’ completely changes the tone of anything before it on the record. This is a hard-hitting Trap song that has a bit of an old-school feeling to it. When I hear this track, I immediately think of the music artists like Crime Mob or D4L. It has the kind of Gritty, harsh, and fun retro Trap sound that is so reminiscent of the late 2000s. This song is driven by a heavily distorted bass line that is put on Top of harsh Trap Hi-Hats. A melancholy melody comes in and out of this track, giving it an overall very foreboding feeling. All of the girls shine on this song vocally; this intense instrumental brings out the attitude in their vocals that makes it so fun to listen to. Soyeon and Minnie especially shine on ‘Flip It.’ Both of these ladies show so much fire in their vocals on ‘Flip It,’ taking the song to an awesome level. Lyrically, ‘Flip It’ is probably the song that most fits the domineering and brazen feeling that (G) I-DLE is known for. This track is a brazen anthem where (G) I-DLE is stating that they know how awesome and sexy they are. (G) I-DLE closes out HEAT with ‘Tall Trees.’ Unfortunately, this is probably the most underwhelming song on the record. The instrumental does not grab me as the other ones do; it honestly feels a bit cookie-cutter and boring(especially considering the music (G) I-DLE is known for). This is a simple Pop-Rock song with an early 2000s feeling to it. The song is driven by an easy-going and slow guitar riff that is complemented by clean synths and put on top of a light beat. The most redeeming thing about this song is the vocals from (G) I-DLE. They each make the song more engaging because of how dynamic of singers they are. Minnie and Miyeon rise above the others in this song, hitting the higher notes with a level of power that helps drive the song along. On ‘Tall Trees,’ the ladies in(G) I-DLE are singing about being betrayed and having their hearts broken. I am not going to lie, I wish the EP would have ended on a stronger note than this, but ‘Tall Trees’ is still a quality song that shows a sweeter side to (G) I-DLE.
If you look at the opinions about this project online, they have been fairly mixed. It seems like a pretty even split between people who love (G) I-DLE’s HEAT and those who think it is just okay(I have not seen anyone who thinks it is straight-up not good, for what it’s worth). As I mentioned in the introduction, this is the first track in a while where (G) I-DLE did not produce or write their songs, and it kind of does show in the way these songs are written and arranged. They do not have certain elements that have made (G) I-DLE’s songs special in the past. With that being said, all of the members of the group were killed and stood out separately at different moments on HEAT. And even though the production did not feel similar to some of (G) I-DLE’s previous work, that does not mean that it is not good. Overall, I think HEAT is a fun EP with a few really good songs. HEAT is a cool addition to (G) I-DLE’s discography, and it shows how diverse the group can be.
EAST SIDE VIBES 