Song You Need to Know: Huh Yunjin, ‘I ≠ DOLL’

Not too long ago, Le Sserafim’s Huh Yunjin proclaimed she wants to “change the idol industry.” Two solo singles and chart-topping EPs with her group later, she exhibits the right spunk to fulfill her ambitions. 

Co-written and produced by the Le Sserafim member, “I ≠ DOLL” marks Huh’s sophomore single, following her August 2022 single “Raise y_our glass.” Huh’s contribution to her solo project doesn’t stop here – the singer has also been credited for the artwork featured in the song’s accompanying music video. 

Characterized by trap and rock influences, “I ≠ DOLL” is an evocative look into Huh’s life as an idol and her unwavering stance on several issues around it. Bold, unfiltered and intimate, the single is a sharp critique of the complexities of constantly living in the spotlight and the judgment that follows: “Yesterday, I looked like a doll/ Today you called me a bitch/ When all they see is vanity/ They pick apart my body/ And throw the rest away.” The title itself is a clever wordplay on the term ‘idol’ – a term used to refer to artists working in the K-pop industry. 

Rather than succumbing to unwarranted hate and judgments on her lifestyle and body, Huh strives to narrate the tale of an idol who isn’t here to fit the cookie-cutter mold. She’s an idol who will continue to raise her voice and humanize the image of other idols in the minds of others; after all, an idol is not “your doll to fuck with.” In addition to the lyrical luster, Huh’s raspy vocal performance positions the singer as someone coming from a place of confidence. 

The illustration-based music video narrates Huh’s journey from a trainee to an idol. Despite getting knocked down by the judgments she faced, the singer continues to challenge adversities and criticism as she goes about her daily life. “I wrote about the things that I’ve come to learn after I made my debut,” Huh shared in a press release, according to KoreaJoongAngDaily. “It’s true that what you see plays a big part in how you judge other people. But ‘I ≠ DOLL’ is about how it feels being on the other end of the judgment or how it looks to outsiders.”

Huh’s sophomore self-composed single “I ≠ DOLL” comes roughly five months following the release of her first solo project “Raise y_our glass.” Upon the release of her latest track, both tracks have been made available on YouTube as well as on streaming platforms.