(G)I-DLE Refuse to Play by the Rules in ‘Tomboy’
The track is the lead single off the South Korean quintet’s first LP, ‘I Never Die’
South Korean powerhouse (G)I-DLE made a highly-anticipated comeback today with their first studio album, I Never Die. The LP is led by the fiery single “Tomboy” and accompanied by a vibrant and powerful music video for the track.
Written and co-composed by leader, producer and rapper Soyeon, “Tomboy” is an anthem about independence and breaking the mold. (G)I-DLE aren’t interested in being the ‘perfect’ girlfriend and state they’re not here to be pretty little dolls for society. The quintet are unapologetic as they declare, “Say I’m pretending that I’m crazy/ What’s the loss to me ya/ Swear at me brutally/ You’re lost to me ya/ Stuff like love can’t make me drop a single tear drop/ I’d rather not if I have to smile at your pointless words.” The track dips into grimy pop-punk to convey a sense of aggression and rebellion as the group points out they’re, “Just me I-DLE” and can’t be tamed.
The quintet drip with attitude and confidence in the music video, bringing back Y2K-inspired alternative fashion as they wreak havoc across the sets with badass explosions, casual vandalism and boss choreography. The video makes a hilarious and dark transition to portray (G)I-DLE as dolls who work together as a team to drug, kidnap and rid themselves of a male doll who serves as the ‘love interest.’
This is (G)I-DLE’s first comeback as a five-member act after vocalist Soojin’s departure from the group in 2021. At the media showcase for I Never Die earlier today, the members explained they are ready to embark on a brand new artistic era. Soyeon stated, “I made this album as if we were debuting again. As I was working on it, I looked back on how much the five members have come since our start and thought about how we should head forward from here.” The group also presented the media with the first live performance of “Tomboy” during the showcase.
I Never Die features a total of eight tracks including “Tomboy” and the hip-hop heavy pre-release, “My Bag,” and cruises through hip-hop, rock, R&B and more. Vocalists Yuqi and Minnie joined Soyeon in the songwriting and production process for various tracks throughout the album.
