(Yonhap)

After exploring Latin pop with hits like “Latata” and “Senorita,” (G)I-DLE delved into hip-hop this time with its new single “Uh-Oh.”

The old-school hip-hop track, composed and penned by leader Soyeon, incorporates boom-bap beats and groovy rhythms alongside the retro vibe of the ’90s. Its straightforward dissing lyrics take aim at people who pretend to be friendly and act pretentious.

(G)I-DLE explained why it strayed away from the act’s previous Latin-inspired sonic scape and landed on the new genre, which is rarely seen among K-pop girl groups.

“It wasn’t like ‘we should do something old-school’ in the first place. Having my roots as a rapper, I’ve actually always wanted to try hip-hop, but not an ordinary one. So I pitched the idea to my bandmates, and we all agreed to go with it,” said Soyeon, who serves as a co-composer and songwriter in the group, during the group’s showcase for “Uh-Oh” in Seoul on Wednesday.




Soyeon continued, “And in pursuit of our own hip-hop style, I thought going traditional would showcase our charm in a better way. For the title of the song, I got the idea from an expression frequently used by staff in the US, where we had stayed to shoot a variety show.”

Minnie chimed in, saying, “When Soyeon said she was working on a hip-hop song, we all had high expectations. And right after listening to the track’s outro part, I was immediately hooked, thought it was very fresh and catchy.”

Asked whether traditional hip-hop, which could be considered old-fashioned, would appeal to audiences, Soyeon shared her thoughts on musical trends, saying, “There’s nothing old in terms of genres.
I always thought our members suited oriental and analog images. Sonically, they suited boom-bap rather than trap.”




A rising rookie under Cube Entertainment, (G)I-DLE debuted in May last year with the EP “I Am,” which hit No. 7 on Billboard’s world albums chart. Lead track “Latata” topped the iTunes K-pop charts in 11 countries.

In August the same year, the multinational group’s single “Hann” topped domestic music charts and debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s world digital song sales chart, making (G)I-DLE one of the few girl groups to make a mark on the Billboard charts with both its debut single and debut album.




Poised to continue its winning streak, the group expressed hopes for better results on charts with its new song.

“We hope to be ranked high on music charts and hold mini concerts and fan meetings more often this year,” Soojin said.

“We’ve never feared to challenge something new. ‘Uh-oh’ will be a nice summer song that will make you feel relieved,” Miyeon added.

Upon its release on Wednesday evening, “Uh-Oh” topped iTunes’ K-pop song chart in 17 countries.

By Hong Dam-young (lotus@heraldcorp.com)