K-pop powerhouse i-dle have never followed the rules. The five-member girl group is known for fearless storytelling, genre-blending sound, and hands-on creative control. Their new single “Mono,” featuring Skaiwater, marks another bold evolution, as they prepare a new EP and global tour that will bring them to Canada this summer, continuing to push boundaries and connect with their devoted fans, Neverland.
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Your new track “Mono” features British rapper Skaiwater and signals a shift in tone. What inspired this new sound, and how does it reflect where i-dle is now as artists?
Minnie: Since we started planning the new song “Mono,” we knew from the beginning that we wanted to include a feature. As Soyeon mentioned before, she had seen Skywater’s videos and performances, and the way Skywater performs on stage — the mindset and attitude — really matched the energy of “Mono.” That’s why we decided to collaborate.
You’ve personally helmed much of your songwriting and production since debut. How has your creative process evolved over the past seven years?
Soyeon: I think every year we continue to express what we want to say. Of course, the story changes every year, and through those years you can see our growth. It’s really fun to see the different stories that come out through that process.
How do you approach blending different genres, cultures, and influences while still keeping your identity intact?
Soyeon: We don’t intentionally try to say, “Oh, we want to try this genre” or “We want to try that.” We just want to show ourselves as we are. Of course, we do follow some trends as well, but I think through that our signature sound naturally shows itself.
Can you share a story or challenge from making the upcoming EP that fans might not expect?
Yuqi: There were a lot of behind-the-scenes moments, but one thing I remember is that we had many discussions about which song should be the title track because we had so many good songs to choose from.
It was the first time that after recording the songs we kept reconsidering the title track. After “Mono” and “Pro,” we talked about what genre or style we should do next, and eventually the title track came out of that process.
I think it’s going to be a great one. Not only the genre, but the choreography is going to be on fire too. We haven’t started practicing the choreography yet, but in about three months it will be coming out. I think our fans will love it, so please stay tuned.
Each of you brings something unique to the group. How do your individual strengths influence the group’s sound and performances?
Yuqi: We all have very unique voices and identities. First of all, we all do our solo ventures really well, and that’s one reason why when we come together as a group we become stronger.
Each member brings different inspirations, identities, perspectives, and ideas to our albums. That’s a really amazing part of working together. We try to incorporate our unique voices and personalities into the music, and I think the upcoming album will show that even more.
You’ve built a devoted global fan base known as “Neverland”. How do interactions with your fans shape your music and performances?
Soyeon: Neverland all around the world supports us from so far away. Their support is really a big reason and source of strength for us to continue our careers in music. Their love gives us the motivation to keep going.
With the upcoming world tour and your Hamilton, ON date at TD Coliseum, what can fans expect from your live shows that they haven’t seen before?
Soyeon: We’ll have a new album by August,
Yuqi: Yes, a new album, so we’re going to upgrade the setlist for the concert. The title of our concert is Syncopation, so fans will experience a lot of surprises in the setlist and many unexpected performances.
Minnie: It will also be different from the shows we did in Seoul, so I think fans will really love it.
When performing internationally, do you approach shows differently depending on the country, or do you try to bring the same universal energy to every performance?
Minnie: We always try to give our best every time we perform. But of course the energy and the vibe can be different depending on the country, so we try to adapt to it.
K-pop is constantly evolving. How do you see i-dle contributing to or reshaping the future of the genre?
Yuqi: For us, the one thing we’ve always done since our debut is make the music that we want to make. As i-dle members, we’ll continue producing and creating music in our own style.
I think we even have our own definition of genre — i-dle itself is a genre for us. We always want to deliver the message that we want to say at that time.
This time we bring “Mono.” Maybe next time we’ll bring something else, and in May we’ll bring the new album. When we come to Canada in August, maybe we’ll bring another message as well. We’re excited to bring new things and a new era to our fans.
Finally, what does breaking stereotypes mean to you personally, and how do you see that reflected in your music and visuals?
Yuqi: We don’t try to break stereotypes on purpose — it’s just our true personalities. All five of us try to live honestly in our real lives. We’re not afraid of saying something wrong, because I don’t think there’s always one “correct” answer in the world.
There are no strict boundaries or standards. Everyone should have their own opinions and standards and I’m not afraid to speak them. I think that’s what i-dle does.
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