SOYEON, the captain of (G)I-DLE. Expectations were high for SOYEON after she appeared on the audition survival show Produce 101 and season three of Unpretty Rapstar on Mnet. (G)I-DLE was the new artist on everyone’s radar when they debuted with SOYEON as their leader, and by her second year, she was sitting on her throne as a queen of pop. After a series of evolutions, she’s now reached auteur status, directing every facet of the music she creates—a rarity in the world of K-pop. Let’s break down five of her songs and how she’s contributed to building up the world of (G)I-DLE to mark the occasion of their comeback on May 15 with the album I feel.

(G)I-DLE has always been SOYEON’s group. When they announced their debut in 2018, most media outlets reported on the group by describing them as the group that would include SOYEON in its lineup. Unsurprisingly, she already had the status of someone more than just a trainee—she was a performer, a producer and a solo artist. The idea for the name (G)I-DLE even came from “Idle song,” one of her solo tracks. The mid- to late 2010s were awash with highly regarded trainees that audition TV shows were pumping out, and when it came time for labels to assign them to new groups where they would fit in best, the powers that be were left scratching their heads over the challenge. Cube Entertainment, SOYEON’s label, had the straightforward option of developing the group’s image, performances and genre around one member, but neither Cube nor SOYEON wanted to make anything resembling (SOYEON)I-DLE. SOYEON and producer Big Sancho, who became famous for his work with Cube, took what made each of the members of the group special, condensed everything down and mixed it with the then-popular moombahton sound, and the result was their debut song, “LATATA.” Listening to the song, it’s clear that SOYEON—who says she wrote the song with each of the members in mind—fully grasped the personalities and unique strengths of the group members right from before they even debuted. SOYEON raps fiercely through the chorus and conducts the whole track, leveraging each member’s strengths into a combined sound that has become the key formula for (G)I-DLE’s music even five years on: MINNIE’s unique “uh ohs,” YUQI’s powerful vocals, SHUHUA’s crucial interjections, and MIYEON—the group’s main vocalist—and her rich, unshakable singing. To better match with the other members’ delicate, dreamy vocal styles, SOYEON put the brakes on the vigorous rap style she exercised on Unpretty Rapstar and bubbly vocals from her solo career. In their place, she picked up the grammar K-pop uses for stage performances and very quickly figured out how to make each and every one of the group’s members shine. (G)I-DLE was different right from the beginning, wielding a unique brand of classic charisma. “LATATA” won a number one on a music show just 20 days after the group debuted, spreading their name far and wide.

SOYEON had a very generous output as a producer in (G)I-DLE’s early days, starting with “LATATA” and going on to include songs like “HANN (Alone)” and “Senorita.” She tried her best to reach the kind of ultimate ideal she was dreaming of through all kinds of new ideas stemming from a kind of research and exploration process. “HANN” took the melancholy of “LATATA” and drew up the major feeling of catharsis that comes from overcoming difficulties to rise up and it planted the seeds for what would later become “LION” and “HWAA.” Similarly, there would be no “Nxde” without “Senorita” and its almost mini-musical-like composition. And when it came time to take things a step above “HWAA,” SOYEON was ready to flex her perceptive and passionate thirst for more. She had already established herself as a charismatic rapper in the time from Unpretty Rapstar to her work with (G)I-DLE, and she put it to good use in “Uh-Oh,” a hip hop song reminiscent of “No Diggity” by Blackstreet (1996). To begin with, the lyrics are outstanding. The daring idea of taking shots at phony suck-ups and naysayers was a survival strategy she had picked up through all her experience on revival shows. SOYEON consciously took two steps forward and one step back with the combination hip hop/R&B beat. She decided to tone down the ferocity of her rapping and kept things simple rather than introducing too much variation in the song. She placed the other (G)I-DLE members front a center and provided vocals for the first verse. The song has such a strong hip hop flavor and thus it would be easy to leave her fingerprints all over it, so rather than place too great an emphasis on her signature as creator on the track, she used each of the group members’ strengths to the song’s advantage. Her approach was successful. SOYEON, MINNIE, YUQI, SHUHUA, SOOJIN and MIYEON all received equal focus with their detached style of vocals emphasizing the clearly developed theme and with their charismatic dancing. SOYEON’s hip hop DNA would be seen again on “Is this bad b****** number?” (feat. BIBI, Lee Young Ji) off one of her solo albums and “My Bag,” which functions like a personal introduction for each of the members. This song was the first time I was truly blown away by her skill as a producer.

(G)I-DLE’s performances are unforgettable, and SOYEON is at their center. It’s clear from the way her voice beams out radiantly in her live performances, even more so than on recordings, that she was meant for the stage. More proof of the fact comes from “HANN” and its striking first pose on stage, as well as “Senorita,” which SOYEON tailor-made for the members. The Mnet competitive girl group reality show Queendom was the perfect stage to showcase her skills as a leader who collected all her know-how from two other such TV shows and had also taken apart, analyzed and fully grasped her own group. SOYEON made Queendom a career highlight for (G)I-DLE in just their second year as a group and the performances need to be described individually. First, the remix of “LATATA”: MINNIE dominates the stage as the show begins, performing an enchantment in a hypnotic voice, and what was originally a moombahton song dims down into dark pop. This and the other songs they would perform gave (G)I-DLE a stage to declare to the world that they would be the best girl group there is and perform beyond anyone’s expectations. Their cover of “Fire” by 2NE1, with its rich underlying percussion, makes good use of the group’s multicultural lineup and an energetic dance break. They looked the world right in the eyes and sharply declared, “We are the best of our generation.” They reached new peaks with their reinterpretation of their own song “Put It Straight,” turning the calm ballad into the horrific tale of a nightmarish stalker. The performance was so flooring that some joked they only received such a low score because people were too awestruck to vote. Finally, there was “LION,” the end of a perfect coronation. As newcomers overflowing with confidence, picking up the K-pop torch and absolutely lighting up the stage as they made their way through tough times, the group was flawless, and they proved it. The crown was theirs. It was a victory for (G)I-DLE and for SOYEON. She had thought up a storyline where SHUHUA—the youngest, and least-proven in people’s eyes—becomes queen and rules over her domain. SOYEON also proved that they’re pioneers of a path never before taken and did it with all the dignity of a queen. She later took “LION” and formed a brilliant trilogy by following it up with “Oh my god” and “HWAA,” proving she never stays still and never settles.

(G)I-DLE’s career can be divided into the time before their summer hit “DUMDi DUMDi” and after. Beginning with this track, SOYEON started working with someone else besides Cube’s longtime composer, Big Sancho: Now she was collaborating with Pop Time, who had previously helped ZICO with his solo work and his work with Block B. “DUMDi DUMDi” took the moombahton of “LATATA” and the percussion of “Fire” to create a simple but effective summer song that softened the hard edges around (G)I-DLE’s image. SOYEON worked with Pop Time again the following year on “BEAM BEAM,” the lead single for her solo album Windy and a guitar-driven track that paid homage to the pop-punk rock from the turn of the century and made popular again by Gen Z in the 2020s. Pop Time was known for his iconic electric guitars, sweeping sounds and catchy hooks from his work with Block B, and SOYEON’s collaboration with him was a clear indication that (G)I-DLE would be heading in a rock direction. The group was reduced to five members and, facing their first comeback in over a year, the group needed a tougher, stronger image. The result was an impactful studio album, I NEVER DIE. SOYEON took a demo of the lead single to the label heads, who immediately signed off on it. The result was 2022’s explosive hit, “TOMBOY.” SOYEON shuffled off her image of chilly, mystic temptress and brought back the confident woman she showed off in “LION” accompanied by distorted guitar riffs. It’s important to note that “TOMBOY” wasn’t successful just because it was a rock song. Despite the hardcore sound, engaging vocals and nearly rude lyrics (“crazy,” “f**king tomboy”) the drum and bass sound is surprisingly laid back. The second verse begins with only the sound of SOYEON’s rap and the guitar to accompany her. Its push and pull of changes riding the elastic tempo sucks the listener into an all-absorbing soundscape. Pop Time had previously used this same technique on Block B’s in-your-face songs and his expertise shines here as well. With her new partnership, SOYEON broke through to a new world for (G)I-DLE and led them to even greater heights—just the kind of dramatic change that her search for the next big thing warranted.

It’s possible that SOYEON saw “Nxde” on the horizon when she wrote “Senorita.” It’s also important to note that “Habanera,” the song from the opera Carmen that “Nxde” samples, is also the dance of Cuba’s capital, Havana. Four years earlier, SOYEON had drawn on tango’s passion to show burning love. Now she no longer had to feign innocence or play coy and had no intention of compromising herself over what people think of her. SOYEON tried to reveal herself just the way she is while boldly shedding empty formalities and affectations and ignoring any gross comments people toss her way. “Nxde” was inspired by the life of Marilyn Monroe, who was made to live her life as a sex symbol but who also played on peoples’ expectations while simultaneously working to overcome prejudices and taboos and dreamed of becoming a true artist. The composition is divided into three acts, like one of their Queendom performances made into a recording. Listeners find themselves quickly immersed in the song thanks to its bold sound and Pop Time’s signature push and pull, and each of the members are on their A game as they express themselves fantastically through song, playing their parts perfectly: MINNIE nonchalantly sings Monroe’s “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”; YUQI rejects that idea and scoffs at people who get pulled in by eye candy; MIYEON wants to leave the life of a character in a play and be reborn as a more confident woman; SHUHUA puts an end to this cycle of misunderstanding and violence, wrapping up the song with the words, “You’ve got a dirty mind.” SOYEON, as director of this play, drains the word “nude” of all obscenity and instills in it new value: a prototype for beauty. She chooses to draw on visual elements from pop culture icons like Banksy, Madonna and the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit to help people understand her vision. “Nxde” is a shocking stand for a K-pop group to take when idols are thrust out in front of the masses and must live by a strict code, all the while given little opportunity to voice their own opinions. It’s the dream of many labels and their idol groups to be free to create according to their whim and send messages they truly believe in, and to be recognized as skilled artists. But there’s more to it than just writing lyrics, making music and being honest about their feelings. They have to gain experience through countless struggles and by making mistakes—and by fighting back. SOYEON chose a tough road to take, but she accepted the challenge and kept walking, eventually taking everything off to become beautiful.