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Following the powerful ‘TOMBOY’ and the provocative ‘Nxde,’ (G)I-DLE made a comeback on May 15th with their sixth mini album. From their pre-release track ‘Allergy’ to the title track ‘Queencard,’ what is the way for them to love ‘oneself’ as they speak? Now is the time to fall for the charm of the five members of (G)I-DLE, who tell their own stories with confident voices. We, the M Countdown Magazine, have listened to their story!

Hello, (G)I-DLE! Congratulations on the release of your mini album [I feel]. Before the interview, please greet the readers of M Countdown Magazine.

Hello! We are (G)I-DLE! we made a comeback after 7 months with the title track ‘Queencard’.

After your first full-length album [I NEVER DIE], your comeback cycle has shortened to 7 months. It's not an easy task to prepare albums consecutively in such a short period of time. Were there any physically demanding aspects while preparing for this album?

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MIYEON : The process of all the members gathering together to create and prepare something was always enjoyable, so there were no difficulties. Rather, the excitement was greater.

You're known for your unique concepts like the previous title tracks ‘TOMBOY’ and ‘Nxde’. This album seems to follow the theme of self-love from your previous album [I love]. How did you come up with the theme for this album, [I feel]?"

SOYEON : We started from the inherent charm of music, which is ‘wanting to make people happy’. we also feel good when we see confident people. we wanted to share that pleasant feeling with everyone.

It seems that Soyeon, as a producer, puts a lot of effort into creating a new concept each time. The atmosphere changes with each of your albums. Do you have any concerns about maintaining the core essence of (G)I-DLE during these changes?

SOYEON : Actually, I pay more attention to our music than to the concept. The concept is something additional, just to add a bit more fun. My focus is always on the music.

When looking at the visuals of Queencard’s music video and concept photos, they showcase the culture of the early 2000s. Since these elements emerged around the time of your birth, are you generally interested in Y2K culture?

MINNIE : Recently, as Y2K has come back into fashion, we have become more interested in it. We're having fun preparing for our performances, thinking about our outfits and styling together.

Your concept draws inspiration from the ‘high teen’ genre among many other retro styles. Although you've clarified that it's not a direct high teen concept, the fact that you've maintained a similar tone suggests the presence of an intended atmosphere or image. Could you explain this?

SOYEON : We emphasized that it's not strictly a ‘high teen’ concept because the term ‘high teen’ refers to the late teens. As we are all adults expressing a certain boldness, we think it's different from high teen in a strict sense. The story of our latest album [I feel] carries the color and grammar of high teen movies, which is why many people seem to think that way. While we indeed adopted the mood of high teen movies, think of it as adding a few more elements that you wouldn't typically see in high teen movies.

Your previous title track ‘TOMBOY’ garnered attention with the ‘pop punk’ genre, and in this album, [I feel], you have actively embraced the rock genre. You've managed to blend it well throughout the entire album. Was there a particular aspect on which you focused?

SOYEON : In this album, we aimed to give more of an ‘electronic’ vibe rather than ‘pop punk,’ and we feel like we took on a lot of challenges in various aspects. We don't like being confined to a mold, so we boldly decided to remove the rap parts.

When listening to the title track ‘Queencard,’ it brings to mind DNCE's ‘Cake By The Ocean’ and the witty rock sound of Måneskin. How was the process of working on the title track?

SOYEON : While we wanted to give an overall rock feel, we aimed to create a vibe more suitable for festivals with electronic music rather than acoustic. We tried to use different sounds that were popular in the 2000s for both ‘TOMBOY’ and ‘Queencard’.

You gathered a lot of buzz with the killing part of the chorus in ‘TOMBOY’. Where is the killing part in this ‘Queencard’?

SHUHUA : ’I wanna with you kiss / I wanna with you hug’

It's right at this part. The lyrics express the feeling of loving oneself in a very straightforward way, and I think expressing it so honestly is the real killing part!

‘Queencard’ is already garnering a lot of attention in short-form videos. What's the key dance move you'd like to introduce?

SHUHUA : Raise your arms to your waist like a penguin and then swing your chest from left to right. It's a really cute dance move!

The track 'All Night' stands out with its groovy bass and restrained guitar performance among the songs on the album. Could you introduce this song?

YUQI : I can introduce it as a ‘A night dyed in me’ in a word. It's a song you can dance to all night!

Personally, I think the adult spoken of in the track ‘Young Adult’ represents (G)I-DLE as you are now. It's a time of many concerns, right? Are there any worries that each member feels as twenty-somethings?

YUQI : For people, the period of their twenties is when they have many expectations and should set goals. Just like the song ‘Young Adult’ I wrote, even though we are adults, we want to live happily, doing what we want, while still having a childlike heart.

Another advantage of (G)I-DLE is that each member's voice is alive and unique. Could you recommend a track from the album where we can fully appreciate your vocals?

MINNIE : We recommend ‘Paradise’! It's a song where you can fully enjoy our charming voices in a warm atmosphere.

In this mini-album, all of you have contributed to every track. There must be many behind-the-scenes stories! Could each member share a small anecdote?

SOYEON : We were preparing ‘Allergy’ as the title track but changed it. It's a song that we spent three months contemplating the lyrics for.

It seems that Soyeon incorporates a lot of wordplay in the titles, such as ‘Queencard,’ ‘Young Adult,’ ‘Nxde,’ ‘Hwaa(火花)’. What is the secret behind your sense of creativity?

SOYEON : I put a lot of thought into the lyrics. Whether it's a cool line or a funny line, I believe that a memorable element is the ‘punchline’. Rather than claiming that my sense is innate, I put significant consideration into each line of lyrics, even every single word. Additionally, I read a wide range of books to gain inspiration.

What was the reason and intention behind releasing ‘Allergy’ as a pre-release before ‘Queencard’?

YUQI : The two songs are connected in terms of their story. After listening to ‘Allergy,’ you will better understand the content of ‘Queencard’. You can feel the process of overcoming a self lacking confidence and transforming into a self overflowing with confidence.

Among the tracks in this mini-album, which song would you recommend the most? Excluding the title track, what is (G)I-DLE members' favorite track? Why do you like those particular tracks?

SHUHUA : Our recommendation is ‘Allergy’! We believe it accurately expresses the emotions that many people living in this era feel. We resonated with it so much. We hope that many people can find their confidence after listening to both ‘Allergy’ and ‘Queencard’.

Is there anything in particular that you recommend to enhance the self-esteem, which is a central theme for you? Like you were inspired by watching movies for the album [I feel], or listening to (G)I-DLE songs, there might be various ways that are unique to you!

MIYEON : Finding what suits me and what I enjoy! I believe it's the first step in loving oneself to look inward and pay attention to oneself. And just like the message we want to convey in ‘Queencard,’ I hope you can embrace your own strengths without comparing yourself to others and love yourself.

As it's your long-awaited comeback, we are also looking forward to seeing the ending fairy. Did you prepare any specific poses or expressions? It would be great if you could leave us a selfie!

MINNIE : We have prepared some ‘sexy’ poses!

Lastly, could you say a few words to the fans who love both the mini-album [I feel] and (G)I-DLE?

YUQI : This album not only has great songs as the title track but also in the B-side tracks. We hope our fans, ‘Nevies’ (the nickname for (G)I-DLE's fandom), will love them too. We worked hard for ‘Neverland’! Thank you always, we love you! Let's stay healthy and happy together!