In a major rebrand, (G)I-DLE have renamed themselves “i-dle.” This comes on the heels of their contract renewal with Cube Entertainment and promises to usher in a new era for their music. The group has been remarkably popular since their debut in 2018, with their singles often defining trends of the era. Their discography tends to be more “miss” than “hit” for me, but I’m always curious to hear what they’ll come up with next.
New single Girlfriend leans further into a pop/rock sound than most of their material and it’s at its best when fully embracing that energy. This genre is notoriously unfussy, thriving on straightforward catharsis laced with plenty of attitude. i-dle certainly have the “attitude” part down and make sure to drive home their badass nature with repeated curse words in the song’s lyrics. It’s more than a little silly, but I always find it a bit cringy when idol groups try to be “bad” in such obvious ways.
Musically, Girlfriend shows potential for a fun, tongue-in-cheek way forward. I love its more melodic pieces, from the anthemic pre-chorus to the rollicking second half each verse. These moments offer a driving energy that should have underlined the entire song. In comparison, the chorus feels a bit undercooked, aiming for sing-along brattiness but never taking flight in the way I’d hope. These shiny centerpieces are contrasted by a more minimalist sound during Girlfriend‘s rapped/spoken segments. This split personality robs the track of its momentum, and with a short running time there’s no real opportunity for the song to steamroll its listeners in submission. More often than not, it feels like a mood board for a better comeback yet to come.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
i-dle’s song always comes with cringe English lyrics and it just often make their song a miss to me. It’s fun, but dull at the same time and I do not wanted to hear it for second time.
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This reminds me of Icona Pop.
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Nick, I think you have a typo with “stream roll.”
And yeah, I think the chorus feels a tad young and thus childish. I think it needs to be sung with a deeper tone, or maybe put some male voices in the background of the mix. Or just crank the bass more? Something’s missing there, but everything else in this one is really fun.
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Thanks for catching the typo!
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no to male voices, but yes to having Yuqi sing in deeper tones.
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I never knew how to pronounce it anyway, and usually got the punctuation wrong too.
Well this one certainly sounds like a pop song that fits somewhere in the current gestalt, I guess, also with flavors of every girl band ever crossed with bratty pop stars like Avril Lavigne types. I’m just not in this demographic to care much about it.
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Would’ve liked more Allergy from this one and less Wife, but I like both of those songs and still like this too.
8,8,8,8 = 8
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Dull song, hoping it’s a grower.
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Yeah, same here. I’ve liked i-dle songs in the past, but their music always seems to be more of a “miss” than a “hit” for me. One thing I will say, though, I gotta give them to them for exploring and having songs in a variety of styles. Their output from last year is nothing like this song.
I feel like this one sounds a little dated, especially thanks to its production choices. Especially the chorus and the pre-chorus, both bring me back to 2011-2012. I do find it catchy, and the melody has its charm, but I guess I’m not coming back to this one.
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The song’s good, but it could be longer. I can’t wait for the rest of the mini album!
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I liked it from my speaker not so much from my headphones. Very promising though, I have a soft spot for this type of production. “I don’t give a f about love…” Is stuck already stuck in my head. I would love the whole album to be a stronger version of this, but I know better lol
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Yeah… this chorus really sounds bad but (G)I-dle can make worse choruses.
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Is it me or is this the “Cupid” chorus?
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I’m not drawn to anything about it, the production is okay and the chorus is fine. The “I don’t give a FAWK about love” made me laugh, though.
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