With the rise of Korean artists in the music landscape over the past several years, girl group (G)I-DLE has become known among K-Pop fans for their catchy and empowering songs. Formed in 2018 under Cube Entertainment, the band currently consists of 5 members: Miyeon, Minnie, Yuqi, Shuhua, and leader Soyeon. Their first EP, I Am, was released that year on May 5th, with the music video for its lead single "Latata" receiving nearly six million views in only one week.

Only a few months later, members Soyeon and Miyeon were called in by Riot Games to provide vocals for a virtual group called K/DA alongside popular American singers Madison Beer and Jaira Burns. The song "Pop/Stars" would end up going viral after the girls performed live at the League of Legends World Championship, reaching the number one spot on the Billboard World Digital Sales Chart.

One thing that (G)I-DLE have often been praised for is the way they incorporate feminist messages into their songs, particularly breaking down stereotypes of what it might mean to be a woman in modern day society. The lead single for their first studio album, I Never Die, was a hit both in Korea and in western audiences. The alt-rock pop punk "Tomboy" features lyrics that reject traditional, sometimes toxic femininity thrust upon young girls with statements like "Do you want a blonde barbie doll? It's not here, I'm not a doll" and"It's neither man nor woman, Just me."

Another one of (G)I-DLE's most iconic works would have to be "NXDE" released in 2022. The theme of the music video is an effortless mix of burlesque and Old Hollywood, drawing inspiration from Madonna's bullet bra and Marilyn Monroe's pink dress. The group even gives a nod towards famous street artist Banksy, with a scene depicting a painting of a naked woman getting shredded as an audience applauds.

During an episode of the Korean television show Home Alone, leader Soyeon explained her thought process while writing "NXDE" as well as other songs on the album to executives at her company.

"I was inspired by Marilyn Monroe. As you all know, she was famous for being sexually attractive and had a ‘dumb blonde’ image, but I heard she was actually very smart. Like our previous albums, this one is to beat the stereotypes. ‘Do they just want to look sexy?’ That’s what most people would think. I want to beat that kind of bias as well. It’s not that we want it to be erotic. I just want to change their perspectives."

(G)I-DLE's latest hit from their brand new album I Feel doesn't stray far from their feminist philosophy. Recently gaining lots of traction on Tik Tok, "Queencard" is full of lyrics that tell their fans to love themselves no matter how they choose to look or dress. At the end of the song, all of the members sing together "A girl wearing whatever, A girl who's thin or thick, A girl full of confidence," as Miyeon finishes off with "I am a queencard, You wanna be the queencard?"

Now, (G)I-DLE are gearing up to take the world by storm with their I am FREE-TY world tour starting on June 17 at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul, South Korea. From there, the girls will travel across Asia, the United States, and Europe, ending things on September 28 in Tokyo. You can check out a full list of upcoming dates here.