The second album from (G)I-DLE, with the concise but explanatory title "2," has finally been released, marking the beginning of a new era for the popular K-pop group. An interesting detail of their comebacks is the versatility of the concepts in their music videos. After exploring themes such as tomboy, Y2K, roaring '20s, this time the 5 girls decided to return with a theme that, in my opinion, is very dazzling and definitely majestic.
Before releasing the actual album on January 30th, the official (G)I-DLE YouTube channel decided to release "Wife," which has some truly funny vibes. I did not expect a pseudo-parodic video; certainly, the blue wigs in the music video and the grammatically incorrect English don't help. At first glance, the vibes are certainly irreverent and chaotic, but like many songs from the group, they actually hide a very current theme.
The promotional track of the album is "Super Lady," which comes with provocative vibes, typical of (G)I-DLE. The main theme would be female empowerment, where every detail of the music video, from the set (a giant stadium) to the costumes to the choreography, is intentionally exaggerated. The singers embody 5 controversial female characters: Yuqi as Cruella de Mon, Minnie as Medusa, Soyeon as Athena, Miyeon as Cleopatra, and finally, Shuhua as Marie Antoinette. Despite discussions in the fandom about whether they have effectively captured the theme in the video, it would not be the first time (G)I-DLE has used exaggeration and provocation to convey their messages.
One interesting thing I noticed is the amount of criticism received for this new comeback, which has literally split the fandom in half. Many fans did not appreciate the album because it deviates too much from the classic K-pop style. Even the traditional roles within the group seem almost "reversed," with vocalists Miyeon and Minnie rapping in "Wife," and the main rapper Soyeon starting "Super Lady" with high notes.
A special mention goes to the track "Revenge," which literally won me over from the first listen. For people who knows, this is the worthy sequel to the "I Never Die" album. As we highlighted earlier, the group collects concepts like Pokémon, and they couldn't miss "7 days" (with its angelic melody) and "Fate" (which seems to have just come out of some anime intro), proving that despite their talent in baddie songs, they can compose and sing a bit of everything.
In conclusion, it probably won't be my favorite comeback, but I really appreciated the album as a whole. Its uniqueness and controversy only increase my admiration for the artistic talent of these singers, composers, and dancers.
