Soyeon references Lorelei in the lyrics. Lorelei was the name of Marilyn’s character in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Essentially she’s a beautiful woman who pursues wealthy men to secure her own future (keep in mind this was from an era where women couldn’t hold their own bank accounts), but is shown throughout the movie to possess a great amount of intelligence and cunning. Towards the end one of the men throws the line “They told me you were stupid. You don’t seem very dumb to me.” In which she replies “I can be smart when I want to, but men don’t seem to like that very much.” A perfect character to encompass the theme of this comeback.
Lorelei is also a story of a woman who basically became a siren after her lover had an affair. "Twisted Lorelei, don't need no man" has a double meaning.
Every single comeback they manage to do something new and unique yet throughout all their songs you can still hear their distinct sound. I have no idea how Soyeon does it, but she is nothing short of a genius. This comeback is incredible and especially happy for Shuhua who gets to shine a lot on this one!
I believe the whole luxury nude thing was Soyeon trying to say that people like to place “virginity” or “femininity” on a pedestal, like how some folks believe idols can’t have boyfriends or must remain “pure” for their fans. People look down on “slutty” women and idols that sell their sex. But, when it comes to art, it’s suddenly a luxurious thing. How many paintings of naked women or women being sexualized and objectified are actually considered “artistic” or “expensive” in our world? And yet when these women are real and breathing, not objects, they’re suddenly trash. So the scene of the luxury nude painting being shredded and applauded at is a jab at people who look down on nudity and yet also place it on a pedestal when it comes to artwork, when really, there should be no difference between the two. People applaud the performance of ripping the luxury nude painting to shreds, yet they cannot applaud a real women selling her performance. This was how I understood the line “luxury nude” and the following scene.
also, i don't know if this is too far fetched but the art of nude women which are idolised and applauded by spectators usually are produced by male artists and often depict completely unrealistic body standards. but as soon as a woman depicts female bodies in the way that she sees them or even her own body, she gets criticised.
G-idle is quickly becoming my favorite girl group because of their message and their non-existent fear to challenge the status quo. For them, this isn’t just one era of feminism, it is their entire concept and belief as group and I love that.
the lyricism of this song is phenomenal and the way its essentially making fun of society. personally i think they title and everything is a way to mock and redirect attention from when people wanna search "idol nude" they'll get this song instead. soyeon's lines in her raps essentially is her saying "oh you thought you were getting something else? nope :)" the song isnt villianizing femininity, its reclaiming it
Yup and if people wanna search for "children nude" or something like that in korean they'll also get this song instead (because idle=children in korean) so it also helps to stop pedophiles
@@penyubrainrot Yes, it's three-fold. Whether people are searching GIDLE nxde or female/children nxde, this song will show up with the opening line "Why you think that 'bout nude?" And the ending lines "I'm born nxde. You're the pervert." She's honestly such a genius!
I should say the ending is extremely layered like the rest of the concept. At what point did we start sexualizing bodies? The scene where she's literally up for auction and says "Sorry this isn't an R-rated show. Refunds are thataway." is so iconic. This is probably their best era!! Hwaa, Tomboy, Lion. Even B-sides like Maybe. Every concept they do is layered. You really have to think and research because there are subtle things throughout. I'm amazed.
Soyeon talked about how Marilyn was the main inspo for this song, she was always seen as just this sex symbol and often had her value reduced to her appearance when in reality she was also a super intelligent woman who was succesful and often spoke about social issues, the main "slogan" for this cb is "I´d rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not" so yeah, they really went after the media and the public with this one kjdskfdsakl The Banksy reference was the cherry on top to me, the rejection of the pure comercialization of art instead of its appreciation, they just rly thought about it all when making this cb I feel like all the members embodied the concept so well, the video is amazing, the lyrics are amazing, their vocals are amazing (as always), and Shuhua especially really got to shine which I love Idle songs always bring great messages and this one is no exception, I also feel that, like you said, their music has become more and more personal and I absolutely love the way they`re evolving as artists, these girls are just amazing
Piggybacking off your incredible point about Banksy and the commercialization of art, i think the current kpop industry is finding itself at the same position, where new groups are being pumped out on the daily, releasing generic, mass produced music. I’m guessing Soyeon is also making a point on how saturated the industry was as well
@@Lanathecoquetteembodiment i definitely agree with u!!! Feels like so many 4th gen groups are following a similar music formula and the companies are constantly debuting new groups trying to benefit off of the global success kpop has gained but it feels artificial a lot of the times and honestly ends up undermining the actual talent so many of these idols have, like the company molds the idol around the concept they want to put out instead of molding the concept around the artist - which is what gidle does amazingly. I see so many super talented kpop artists who dont get to showcase the things they’re good at bc the company doesnt really think about how to bring out the best in them, but focuses on jumping on the newest trend and stuff Also its not even about the depth of the music itself, I love pop songs that dont necessarily have a super deep meaning, but things can be fun and still be original/on brand for the singer
@@juliaherold4056 Yeah Only a handful of 4th gen group that captured me the most And (G)i-dle is one of them . Also can i just say this Nxde has the best production value for a kpop m/v this year ? . They reference a lot of iconic person and moment like Marilyn Monroe and Banksy but not replicating it a lot to the point of imitation .
The title also is very intentional. In their language idle can be spelled like or sound like a word for children, also gross people like that put an x in the word often. So if someone tries to look up...certain things, then their song and things about their song will come up first and drown out the awful results. Its so genius Edit Also, the line about "if you were expecting some R rated show oh im sorry but thats not what we're showing" hits a bit different 👀👀👀
I find her line in her rap "did you expect an R rated show? I'm sorry" genius. she knew many people would get excited by the title and the teaser photos and hope for a sexy concept for THEIR pleasure. And she enjoyed throwing it in their faces.
EXACTLYYYYY, that's why I was so hyped when I read the lyrics!!!!!! Soyeon's rap +++++++++++ shushu's line "you've got a dirty mind" like FUCKKKKKK I imagine all those people who expected a "R rated show" bcs of the teasers just to get told by I-DLE that they're a fucking pervert aaaaaaaaaaa
The absolute peak of the MV was Soyeon undressing on stream, and the comments during the live stream are just so on point and topical, I can't get enough of this.
Nxde is not just a song It's a MOVEMENT! They say change starts with you and Soyeon is initiating a change She is voicing what a hundred female entertainers across the world from time immemorial would have liked to express I just know idle are being blessed by the souls of those numerous women across ages We have a proverb here "only a diamond dealer can accurately know the worth of a diamond, for everyone else it's a stone that shines too much and hurts the eyes" Nxde is that gem
@Too Beautiful To Handle I'm sorry I didn't elaborate It's a movement within the k-pop industry Idk if you know k-pop lyricists would wet their pants rather than writing such honest lyrics Soyeon met with lot of criticism from cube and even poptime couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the line "you're a pervert" and literally said that he felt Soyeon was joking and wouldn't actually insert the phrase in the song Movements can be global and local
I very much enjoyed the Jean Harlow-Veronica Lake-Marilyn inspiration. On top of that, they are hitting a strong concept of cabaret/burlesque- which is unique in Kpop because that concept (as far as aesthetics and sonics go) typically renders… old. The girls were not shy about creating a song that doesn’t sound like music generated for 12 year olds. That shows courage. And they look beautiful but idols always look sublime. So that much is a given and less impressive than the boldness of their intent and execution.
You missed at they end they added a thanks to Marilyn and Bansky for the inspiration. Soyeon stated in her episode of that this album’s concept was “I’d rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I’m not” and referenced Marilyn because she did a lot for the feminist movement and was incredibly smart she read lots of philosophical books (and also Leaves of Grass which was referenced in the music video) but society only remembers her as the iconic dumb hot blonde. Also the character is a reference to Betty Boop. Soyeon is even initiating her voice during the intro and bridge.
@@chiedzawith2ds agree, the characters is definitely more of Jessica Rabbit or Holli Would. OP probably mentioned Betty Boop because Soyeon also reference her in the I Live Alone episode
@@chiedzawith2ds it could be jessica rabbit as well but i was just comparing that plus the intro especially , it gives the same vibe as the intro screen to every betty boop episode so thats why i say it could be inspired by her
You hit the nail on the head with the purpose of the Marilyn Monroe references like Minnie’s “diamonds are a girls best friend” scene and the lyrics to reference it as well. That’s exactly it. She was a smart, lovely woman who was cast as a dumb blonde or perceived as one in-universe in most things she acted in. She was a gorgeous lady, and the objectification she faced was awful. Women and men hated her and treated her like dirt.
I almost feel like everything leading up to this was so this song had more impact. She didn’t want to dye her hair, but wanted to go with the blond here. She doesn’t like revealing clothes but goes with the clothing design. Like- I can be this amazing idol, and I can do WHATEVER I want
I don't know that I'd agree that (G)I-DLE's music is becoming MORE personal over time - "Uh Oh" was an incredibly personal slapback to all the people who had run Soyeon down during her trainee and pre-debut periods and who were trying to get close to her once she was successful. What I DO agree with is that (G)I-DLE's success has bought them the freedom to BE personal in their music and message in a way that other successful groups usually don't embrace. Coming back more popular than ever after the horrible 2021 that they suffered seems to have freed them even more - the whole theme of this era feels like "You can like it or not, but we're THIS. And we're not going to change for you or anyone." And yes. YEH SHUHUA. Her era at last.
I love the fact that this song not only has a empowering message, it also has a very positive impact. Let me elaborate. Since the song title “Nxde” was released, if people search 노드(n*de) or 여자(female) 누드 or 아이들 (idle, meaning children) 누드 the result will show this song and all the information related to this song and the promotion of I love album, instead of explicit leaked video clips. This can really help protecting women and children’s rights.
The only person who reviewed this song and got the message. Like women and men all went: look how good they all look. The only thing I think that they got from the lyrics was: how do I look? Like literally, I was appalled. And G-Idle proved their point to me twice and it broke me and made me laugh at the same time. So, honestly, thank you for existing. And yes, this song needs more views, recognition and just...attention on it. For the message. Cause yes, they are gorgeous, but their voices, their concept, message, the inspiration...is just something that only G-Idle could put out without getting disbanded day two I think. The only other person would be Hyuna, maybe. But no other group. Like anyone else would get slashed. But thanks to Soyeon's extravagant and perfect persona that has prepared everyone over the years made this possible. I doubt the Korean tv will ever play it, but man, I can only wish. Also, because of this song I've learned that Marylin Monroe actually spoke up about Se-ual harassment, about how females are treated poorly at work, entertainment... and how, in general, they are sexualized and forced to act in a certain way to appeal to the male gaze. And the line: You tricked me, you a liar. Some learned that she was actually a smart woman who used her looks to ...survive. Although the ones who were in control of her career choose her look, the direction of her career and all. And she just did such a good job, she fooled everyone but she was never her persona. And then they kept selling her as a s-x symbol and buried anything else. It just goes to show that's what they wanted her to be and that's all that mattered. And that happens today too of course. Like...I don't think males are an exception, but if they talk about anything that it's 'important' or 'revolutionary' everyone listens. A woman? She's complaining...like 8 out of 10 in the industry. Or more...but in real life? Ha. Try to care about anything besides pleasing the boss or your future/ present husband/ child. Nah. Like it's incredible how brainwashed we are all. I don't think anyone is really 'evil' and wants anyone to be unhappy, but if you're always told you should do this and only this then one day you will start saying the same thing even if you don't 100 percent believe it or realize that nothing is truly forbidden or wrong.
The problem here is that Soyeon's message to quit looking only at surface appearance, especially with a dirty mind, is directly in conflict with part of the job description of being an idol - looking good and displaying sex appeal. Her gripe is valid, but it's essentially impossible to disassociate the two, which is why it's so difficult to get the problematic people to change. That said, simply appreciating how good the idols look while still being respectful is not a crime. It's not a deep perspective, but there's nothing inherently wrong with it, and I'm sure Soyeon would acknowledge that. She knows the nature of her own career field better than the rest of us, including how the fans react.
No literally it pissed me off the number of reactions I watched where people were GAWKING, being like "omg they are SO SEXY" with not a single thought about the lyrics, the message... like yes they are beautiful women but like, idk, LISTEN to them for once??
You are partly right, however, Norma (Marilyn’s real name) did enjoy “playing” Marilyn Monroe. She had a lot more autonomy than people give her credit for. She came up with the name Marilyn Monroe herself. That persona wasn’t forced onto her, it was the stereotypical dumb blonde movie roles that were forced onto her. She wanted to play more diverse characters and they wouldn’t let her.
@@a.j.1819 You are right. But I didn't think she didn't want to do it...that's the thing. She was smart and she was able to fool everyone into thinking she was who they wanted her to be. I am merely saying that they didn't want to hear or see her doing anything else. That's the point I was making, she was smart and she was talented, so she not only knew how but knew to give the viewers and her superiors what they wanted and it worked.
(g)-idle are artists but not just a kpop girl group. there are a bunch of kpop girl groups delivering female empowerment nowadays (which is good). but this comeback is just at another level!! there are so many references and messages. their meanings are deep and have multiple layers. it is NOT just slogan shouting. good messages always provoke people to think deeper. they did that and that's why they are artists!
They killed it. And Soyeon is incredible. She is the only female solo artist thar reminds me of the artistry of G-Dragon. She is a 360 degrees kind of artist. INCREDIBLE.
Hammer --> Nail GD and TOP(lyrics) together transformed Kpop for Big Bang. Hanbin was no slouch for Ikon and still is massively talented as a soloist. Stray Kids' efforts are not going unnoticed but Soyeon's start and works remind me of GD and TOP the most and I include TOP because of their similar cool rapping style and lyrical talent. I'm omitting some other prominent groups that also self-produce because they didn't do so since day 1 like the aforementioned artists.
@@onlydbrasko @D Brasko Exactly, right? Her rapping style, great visual aura and stage presence, the fact that she writes AND produces beside singing and rapping, she really reminds me of G-Dragon! 🔥
@@leolita2001 I'm sure that GD himself would agree. Unlike GD who's turned into more of an artist and designer for his business interest, I see Soyeon one day running her own agency like PSY and owning her brand like GD. People like them create options that cannot be foreseen by the average person so kudos to them for seizing the days.
Shuhua. That's all I really have to say for this comeback. But in all seriousness, Shuhua obviously absolutely killed this comeback more than any other, and I love how the message of the song, saying to the public they shouldn't decide what G-Idle's members' bodies should look like, is emphasised from the confidence from the members. I love G-Idle.
Releasing tomboy with that very clear feminist message when sk had just elected a misogynist president and anti-feminism was on a high was already gutsy enough but I'm absolutely astonished that they continued this with nxde. Tomboy had such success it would have been easy -and safer- to go down a more common road instead of using their fame and success to communicate an even more powerful message. The references to Marilyn were brilliant; I was frankly worried when I heard that this comeback was going to be inspired by her because so many tend to stop at "very sexy but overly sexualized :(( " when she was also a very bright and intelligent, ambitious woman who had her road blocked multiple times unfairly. Also, I'm sure it's not everyone's cup of tea but I personally really liked the way they sampled Bizet's Habanera. I went to see Carmen multiple times and Habanera is a favourite of mine so it was a pleasant surprise. Idle's concepts are always 10/10.
For me an other layer of the song was that yes women don’t want to be objectified and loved only bc of their look and body, but that doesn’t mean that they themself can’t love their body and can’t appreciate their femininity. We were born with this body, we want to love ourself and be sexy and confident without the public objectifying us and thinking immediately about sex. “I’m born nude/ you’ve got a dirty mind/ rude”
they said in an interview that the marilyn reference goes deeper, as you said! they were exploring how people overlooked her talents only bc of her looks and the rumors people made about her, and made her something she was not. also how they, as a girl group, can relate to the press painting pictures of them that aren't accurate, and how them and marilyn could've had a lot in common in many aspects.
The music is not my cup of tea but the message is soooo good! Soyeon is always a genius - in e ve ry aspect. Like I always said. She don't need CUBE. CUBE needs her. (G)I-DLE is on a level of some boy groups who produce their own stuff. Shuhua was in Tomboy absolutely great or actually already in Oh My God.
If im not mistaken Lorelie is the name of Marilyn's character in Gentleman Prefer Blondes. That verse seems to be in reference to how everyone equated Marilyn to her characters when she was a well read bookworm.
Soyeon wrote such amazing lyrics. She must've done so much research to come up with this. I mean, Lorelei!! That line is so perfect. Soyeon, just like Marilyn Monroe, is a real bookworm.
I think Shuhua got so many lines and shined this comeback because this is a topic that's important to her. Shuhua has often said she wants to maintain natural beauty and not change her appearance much for the sake of others and often calls out trolls or people making mean comments. She isn't afraid to be herself.
I think its so important for Shuhua to have shined so much in this cb because, being the literal visual of the group, the message really shines close to home for her position. Making this statement and standing out so much in it while being whats seen as the "pretty face" of the group is so outstanding.
i love the way they're saying "baby how do i look", because it sounds like they actually dgaf what the man thinks about them, but they ask him only because they're supposed to. they're expected to care about male gaze and i love how they depict it there
i understand if some people don't like the song because it's clearly not a mainstream sound, but you can't deny this is a piece of art that deserves all the hype always loving your commentaries form of therapy, love u ❤️
People are saying that the cartoon character is SOOJIN! Small detail in Leaves of Grass, the book Soyeon was holding. Leaves of Grass is also notable for its discussion of delight in sensual pleasures during a time when such candid displays were considered immoral. The book was highly controversial during its time for its explicit sexual imagery, and Whitman was subject to derision by many contemporary critics. Soyeon's attention to detail is INSANE! G-Idle is my ultimate favorite group. Their concepts and their self produced/written songs just hit way harder for me than other kpop groups. I also found them at a time I was struggling and they just inspire me so much!
Soyeon’s musical genius amazes me every comeback!! Giving Shuhua the killing part in the chorus is remarkable and IM HERE FOR IT 👏🏾👏🏾 Edit: after checking all the dates of comebacks with idle and all comeback dates that include Soojin, I was mistake and I apologize for the confusion lol
not sure about that last sentence lmao but some are theorizing that the animated jessica rabbit type character is actually soojin based on mole placement (tho i can't confirm myself LOL)
This cb clearly shows that Gidle is definitely not limited to the kpop girl group label but still since they have to work in the industry they have to somehow make these statements "work" in their pieces, and they did it so well in nxde. Also not the catchiest of their songs but it definitely grows on you, I've found myself humming to 'how do I look' multiple times already. Ty for the amazing reaction PD
Something I just realised as well (I don’t know if it’s been mentioned already) but the way it transitions from Minnie’s light vocals to Yuqi’s deep tones was so perfectly done when you think about how Marylin has said herself that “Marylin Monroe” is a character she plays for the world and her real voice was actually very deep. A modern example I can think of is Paris Hilton.
It's probably been said in the comments but the amazing thing about this sing is not only the lyrics, but also that people in korea who try to look up cp online are going to get results for this song. G-idles korean name is the word for female child/little girl. People who want to look up that word with "nude" attached to it are now gonna get results for G-idle. Feminists in korea are praising soyeon for that as far as I've heard :)
Im sad that soojin didnt get to be in this song because she used to inspire from marilyn to improve her facials. I would love to see her doing this concept
the cartoon is meant to represent Soojin, Shuhua said it was her favorite part of the video and we should really give a good look to it, now go to "Nxde" 1:49 paused at 4k and check the frame you will find something that got missing in "TOMBOY"
I actually had the pleasure of seeing (G)I-DLE live this summer and I thought it was so cool because every single one of the members was speaking english the whole time, which I thought was very impressive and I haven't seen another group do that since. Also they very shameless and badass and that is two words that I think describe the group and this comeback very well. They have this "we will do what we want and we don't care what you think" attitude about them which I love.
I feel like Soyeon keeps reminding people of Soojin, even when she's not around. Like Shushua's visual looks like Soojin this era, and the animated girl could be her too
When they released Oh My God, I thought it would be hard to top that concept and mv, but omg this one... It got me hooked since the first concept photos... It's so them, so fresh, unique, so goooood omggg
I’m also thinking about the word Nxde and how whenever you’re naked, you’re exposed, vulnerable and what I’m thinking is they want to be seen in a deeper view not just as women who are only there to look pretty.
They remind me every time why they are one of my favorite girl group ever. They never miss. Soyeon never misses ! I stan her, and her talent. And Shuhua ?! I've always liked her, but damn ! She just showed up and showed out. Left no crumbs, and even ate the damn plate.
Nobody does it like Soyeon .... She is very underrated ! No 4th gen is doing it like her . They are taking kpop to the next level, it's not always bubbly & cheerful . We are definitely ready for this kind of slap. Damn it's a Bopp, if u understand it you'll love it ..
Maybe it's a mistranslation, but I can't help but think about the difference between the phrase "I'm nude" and "I'm a nude". "I'm nude" makes me think about honesty, authenticity, and letting everyone see you for who you are. But being *a* nude means being put up for display for nothing but your body and looks. A nude is stripped of their personhood and becomes a fantasy, an object that people place their own ideas of who the person depicted is
The fact that Mamamoo, I-dle, Le Sserafim and Kep1er all released power anthems instead of cute-sy songs while maintaining their image and sound tho. i-dle's edge is they're embracing the side that public doesn't talk that much is a big wow for me.
This song deserves a Grammy Nomination.. I love how meaningful yet catchy the lines are, not just repeated and shallow lines.. if Lady Gaga or a well known American artist performs this even half as much as they did, I kid you not they are winning the Grammys..
Another thing in the music video is that the part where she is standing on a pedestal in a green dress looks like the cover of the book "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo". The book is a historical fiction about a Hollywood movie star and her rise to fame and the criticism she received. Not to mention the author says that Marylin Monroe was one of her inspirations for the book.
(G)I_dle seriously killed it with this comeback. I've not been a fan for that long (generally avoid girlgroups cause body image issues) but I really appreciate the message they're conveying. I love how daring they are and actually address the issues instead of just hinting at them. The message of Nxde is very clear and in-your-face and I love it! Also I'm a huge fan of the burlesque aesthetic/sound so this was bound to be an absolute hit for me.
Nxde singlehandedly made me appreciate being a woman even more, all the references are amazing and having seen Soyeon's behind the scenes while directing the girls you can see everything has a meaning. What a genius song!
I gotta say, this comeback is absolutely GENIUS. Not just in terms of the song, the message, the concept, but also just pure marketing. The girls are coming off huge success with Tomboy, and I'm sure they knew that 1) there will be many more eyes on them this comeback, and 2) it will be hard to match or top that success. So how do they go about it? By bringing forth a concept so meaningful and important that, like PD, you may not love the song, but you absolutely cannot hate the message. It's truly genius.
Really enjoyed the attention to detail that this comeback had. The MV and concept was outstanding, though understandable that the song itself is not for everyone. I personally enjoyed the title track and all the B-sides were great
Lorelei is the name of the gold-digger type character Marilyn played in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, which is the film Minnie's pink outfit with the big bow and men holding the paper hearts are a reference to. (A diamond tiara is a part of the plot.) Leaves of Grass (the book that Soyeon and the animated blonde are holding) is a collection of philosophical poems. Marilyn was a big lover of reading, hence the bookworm line.
I really like all of the undertones and double meanings that G-idle worked into this comeback: 1) The song lyrics 2) The Hollywood actresses during the 1900s that are represented here: Soyeon - as I believe Mamie Van Doren - from what the lyrics and the set describe - who was kind of a harbinger of the rebellious, bad girl style of films from Hollywood (The trouble maker headline on the 2nd newspaper that Soyeon rips), and who was a major sex symbol at the time. (Also during this segment Soyeon refers to Lorelei (a German legend) who was a beautiful maiden who threw herself into the Rhine River in despair over a faithless lover then was transformed into a siren who lured fishermen to destruction which makes sense with this concept) Minnie - Marylin Monroe - as in her first scene with the pink dress and men in suits closely resembles Marylin in "Men prefer Blondes" where she sang "Diamonds are a girl's best Friend" (I am not sure about the rest though, sorry) 3) The little details - for example the book that the cartoon character and Soyeon both read during Soyeon's first rap (Self made woman) is a poetry book called Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman - which is considered the greatest contribution to American poetry, and represents the celebration of his philosophy of life and humanity while it praises nature and the individual human's role in it. Which, in my opinion, ties into the "I am born nude" (2.48 - M/V) line as naturally we are born nude, without much hair nor clothes. 4) All of the Hollywood actress giant pictures in the background of a lot of scenes. But generally this comeback was really amazing also Shuhua's vocals and visuals this comeback were shocking in the best way, so thank you (G) - Idle for another amazing comeback, and thank you for reading this (sorry if it didn't make too much sense at times).
you could also say that soyeon's style in her first verse was a reference to Madonna, who wore the iconic Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra (the dress that soyeon wears is in reference to) in the 1990 music video for her song Vogue, and ended up popularizing it in the States.
As a song that I consume it’s a 6 or 7 out of 10 since it’s not a huge replayable song, but in terms of creativity and just sheer artistic power this is probably my favorite comeback of all time. They all delivered and went beyond; as vocals go they were each super bold yet cohesive, and of course the meaning goes deeper then I could try to analyze- and it’s insane. Listening to this reminded me of when Soyeon had her audition for Produce 101 and Cheetah complimented her- not just for her performance but for her artistic skill. At the time, I was like hmm.. her performance is memorable and her skill is undoubtedly one of the strongest that was shown through the first two episodes, but I was so confused what the magic Cheetah saw was. But now it all makes sense; this is such a daring song, and it was planned and executed amazingly. Soyeon, once again reminding the world that she’s one of the strongest producers and artist because she can make a song that isn’t an ear worm (for me), but it lingers heavily on my heart that I want to replay it and dissect it more.
Soyeon is my favourite artist (music-wise) at this point. Most of her songs are so impactful, meaningful and empowering. Like feminism and empowerment is a theme troughout their career and they are one of the few groups who truly stand behind it.
Shuhua said its her favorite part of the video, go to "Nxde" pause it and move to 1:49 and you will see in the frame a thing that got missing in "TOMBOY" which basically confirms the toon is Soojin's
Fun fact: I rewatch your videos for my favorite artist all the time 😂 i’ve been following So-yeon since produce 101 and thus also (g)i-dle. I’m very proud of Shuhua. I don’t know if it was learning the language better or the departure of Soojin (😭) but she’s worked hard and her confidence is 1000 times improved from how it used to be
10:52 Leaves of Grass is a book of poetry by Walt Whitman written in the mid 1800s. It was PRETTY controversial for the time and often referred to as...well...smut. I think it's a great reference on Soyeon's part for two reasons. 1. Whitman was one of the founders of "free verse" poetry. A significant number of modern poets and social media poets now employ this style. There's no defined structure, rhyming, meter etc. It, quite literally, freed poetry from the box. 2. Much like the style of poetry, the content of Leaves of Grass did away with the general sentiment of poetry at the time. In the 1800s there was a lot of emphasis on the ethereal world, the religious, the spiritual, intangibles. For example, his contemporary, Emily Dickinson, who wrote about things like death, hope. Leaves of Grass was about as far away from that as you could get. It was highly criticized at the time as obscene and immoral. The reason is that Leaves of Grass focused heavily on humanity, not spirituality. It discussed man as self, it discussed material goods, it discussed sex and sensuality. Both Whitman and Soyeon challenge us to consider how and why we think about "nude" (feminine sensuality, sexuality, ourselves as humans etc) the way we do. We make things "rude." We force a value and meaning onto things that don't necessarily HAVE to have that value and meaning. We commercialize and commodify things like sex and art (this is where the banksy reference makes perfect sense.) If you've ever heard of "I Sing The Body Electric," that poem was by Whitman and published in LoG. I'm going to quote bits of it because it's a great work and I highly recommend it as a read. It's quite long, though: "The love of the body of man or woman balks account, the body itself balks account, That of the male is perfect, and that of the female is perfect." "Be not ashamed women, your privilege encloses the rest, and is the exit of the rest, You are the gates of the body, and you are the gates of the soul." "If any thing is sacred the human body is sacred." I'm not gonna lie. I actively dislike the SOUND of the song, which is weird since I'm a huge fan of (g)i-dle. But the meaning is flawlessly executed and all the little references sprinkled throughout add significantly to the meaning. Also, "Lorelei" definitely refers to Marilyn Monroe's character in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the film which is also being referenced in Minnie's scene.
Some background information on the references in this music video for anyone who is interested: The part in the beginning where Minnie is dressed in a pink dress is very much a reference to Marilyn Monroe in the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes where she sings Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend in a pink dress as the character Lorelei. In that movie she manages to get her hands on a diamond tiara. So there are lots of references in the lyrics to that movie as well. Most characters played by Marilyn were pretty women who weren't the smartest on the surface. To me the song seems to be referencing Marilyn's characters, movies and even the image people have put on her. The pretty, dumb blonde. That stereotype still exists today describing women who are pretty can't be smart at the same time. Then later on in de music video, the white dress with the short, curled blonde hair is a reference to the iconic dress Marilyn Monroe wore in the movie The Seven Year Itch, where it blows up in the wind coming from the subway grating. I think it's smart to come out with this song and music video soon after the movie about Marilyn Monroe's life called 'Blonde' was released since it stirred a lot of commotion and therefor got a lot of attention. Later on in the music video we see a painting being shredded inside it's frame, which is a reference to the Banksy painting which was being auctioned off and got shredded just after it had been sold.
(G)I-DLE's been so daring with their comebacks lately. It feels like they're kind of breaking away from typical girl group comebacks especially in terms of MV and song lyrics. They're very bold as a group and it's really nice to see.
10:48 LORELEI LEE is one of Marilyn Monroe's famous roles. Here's one of the quotes on the movie "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)" Lorelei Lee : Don't you know that a man being rich is like a girl being pretty? You wouldn't marry a girl just because she's pretty, but my goodness, doesn't it help? Esmond Sr. : Have you got the nerve to tell me you don't want to marry my son for his money? Lorelei Lee : It's true. Esmond Sr. : Then what do you want to marry him for? Lorelei Lee : I want to marry him for YOUR money. Mr. Esmond Sr. : Say, they told me you were stupid! You don't sound stupid to me! *Lorelei Lee : I can be smart when it's important. But most men don't like it.*
the song is mostly inspired by marilyn monroe’s quote “id rather be hated for who i am than to be loved for who im not”, and since marilyn moneoe is also very sexualized and her other aspects are ignored, soyeon combined these 2 ideas and came up with nxde. For one, nude means to bare it all, take off all the images and show the truest self, like how the dance in the chorus is them unzipping, then flip their clothes open. then they asked the question “how do i look” because they just “put on their beautiful self”, even if the answer they got might be “i hate it”. on the other hand, obviously nude also reference the hypersexualization of MM and in kpop industry. they were born nude, im in my natural and pure state, and you are a weirdo for always sexualize everything. and also they cross out the U to say that we are not getting nude for u, but to show our true self. so in this sense, nxde is like a new word created by them, and is used as a noun to describe someone like that, hence “im a nude” (which i think would be more obvious if its written like “im a nxde”)
i personally think the banksy reference is commentary on the commodification and fetishisation of the female body. women cannot do anything without it being SOMEONES fetish. someone’s getting off to this no matter what. you can be beautiful and of course people love it , you try to break free from the commodification and people love to watch the struggle. the tortured woman is so fetishised and it’s so evident in how if you aren’t a straight cis white male, you’re a p*rn category. the shredding adds value. the struggle adds value. people always watch.
Damn I'm late but this.... This truly feels revolutionary. This song needed to grow on me but I literally watched the mv 10 times right after release so honestly it didn't take long 😂 but besides that, the whole message of this is so great especially at the current time. I also just LOVE the visuals. Now I also get how Tomboy was a re-debut for them. Nxde truly feels like a second comeback and they seem to have developed a whole different style. I can't wait to hear more of it!
Most people get the Marilyn and Banksy reference in reaction but the instrumental part during the chorus part right after they say "yes I'm nude" is very close to Habanera from the opera Carmen as well. Not a direct sample but draws heavily from it. This makes for a good reference and fits in with Nude's underlying message because at the time the opera first came out its themes and the character Carmen herself were scandalous amongst critics who were scathing in their review of the "behavior of a free woman" in the opera.
"Loralei" is a name of German origin which means "She whose singing lures men to destruction". And the sound you were asking about is a trumpet with a mute in the bell. It was a sound popular in 1920's jazz.
I can’t express how impressed I am with soyeon!!!! I’ve been i fan since debuted and every comeback I realise how talented she is. I also watched her in unpretty rapstar and I didn’t know who she was but she did leave an impression on me.
I could talk about this comeback for days and i'm saying this as a non-fan. It's incredible. Will check out the album. Jeon Seoyeon, and Gidle, huge respect.
such a powerful song for women. it's only becoming a popular topic to recognize the tropes and archetype forced on women in media since the beginning of time. we've always been some dramatic story to tell and never the unique human's we are. so proud to hear a song talking about it and displaying it, especially in korea! power to em
I don't see enough people talking about the Carmen's melody in the chorus so here's a bit of insight! It comes from the Carmen's aria "Habanera", which is the introduction of the opera's main character. I found some infos about it, and I understand why they chose that piece exactly. "Carmen owes its longevity, in part, to Bizet's sparkling music, and to its fearless, flirtatious title character. But for all her sexual charisma, Carmen's own fate, in Bizet's opera, says something about how society views strong women. Carmen is the supreme diva of operatic femmes fatales. She smokes and drinks, runs with a band of smugglers and brings men to their knees just by crooning her breathy Habanera. In her famous aria, Carmen sings, "Love is a rebellious bird that no one can tame..." It's the type of carefree mantra she lives by. Within minutes, she'll have a hapless soldier named Don Jose half-crazed with desire." I invite you all to check out this article about the opera: www.npr.org/2007/09/22/14347881/carmen-on-the-couch-analyzing-bizets-bold-heroine
I've been their fan since pre debut and I am so incredibly happy to see Shuhua FINALLY feel like a proper member of the group. They tried giving her these talking rap verses to balance her lack of lines before but imo that didn't work in her favour, because then she just ended up sounding underwhelming next to Soyeon. And when she didn't get those verses she just got one or two words here and there but she rarely properly sang. I always had a soft spot for her and it was sad how she kinda felt like an accessory to the rest of the group. But now she's actually getting the same lines as the rest of the vocalists and she's doing such an amazing job. Now she feels like she fully belongs. Would have loved to see this before Soojin left but I'm still happy we got to this place at all.
Soyeon references Lorelei in the lyrics. Lorelei was the name of Marilyn’s character in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Essentially she’s a beautiful woman who pursues wealthy men to secure her own future (keep in mind this was from an era where women couldn’t hold their own bank accounts), but is shown throughout the movie to possess a great amount of intelligence and cunning. Towards the end one of the men throws the line “They told me you were stupid. You don’t seem very dumb to me.” In which she replies “I can be smart when I want to, but men don’t seem to like that very much.” A perfect character to encompass the theme of this comeback.
Lorelei is also a story of a woman who basically became a siren after her lover had an affair. "Twisted Lorelei, don't need no man" has a double meaning.
@@chiedzawith2ds i thought of that too
@@chiedzawith2ds That’s interesting! I didn’t know about that.
I didn't know about that, that's so cool
so cool
Every single comeback they manage to do something new and unique yet throughout all their songs you can still hear their distinct sound. I have no idea how Soyeon does it, but she is nothing short of a genius. This comeback is incredible and especially happy for Shuhua who gets to shine a lot on this one!
Shuhua's glow up has to be the best in the industry... And yess Soyeon is a genius.
This. Exactly this!
YES
@@swaggysharan5452 fr
@@swaggysharan5452 She went from one line per song to being the 2nd most lines in this!! I'm so happy
Shuhua’s “How do I look” gives me such severe goosebumps I legit passed out❤
Legends has it… you are still passed out!!
@@e.hcreative6718 update: they're in a coma now
When i first heard that i was like "Oh my god...is it her?" and almost legit screamed
the first time I listened to it was audio only and my jaw dropped
I had to replay that part like 5 times to make sure that was her 😭. SHE ATE THIS UP!!!!
I believe the whole luxury nude thing was Soyeon trying to say that people like to place “virginity” or “femininity” on a pedestal, like how some folks believe idols can’t have boyfriends or must remain “pure” for their fans. People look down on “slutty” women and idols that sell their sex. But, when it comes to art, it’s suddenly a luxurious thing.
How many paintings of naked women or women being sexualized and objectified are actually considered “artistic” or “expensive” in our world? And yet when these women are real and breathing, not objects, they’re suddenly trash. So the scene of the luxury nude painting being shredded and applauded at is a jab at people who look down on nudity and yet also place it on a pedestal when it comes to artwork, when really, there should be no difference between the two. People applaud the performance of ripping the luxury nude painting to shreds, yet they cannot applaud a real women selling her performance.
This was how I understood the line “luxury nude” and the following scene.
This is the best idea I've ever hear about it, imma use this to define luxury nude from now on, you blow my mind
What a fucking great point! Thank you
holy shit you galaxy brained bass boost this
this explaination is amazing! you nailed it!!
also, i don't know if this is too far fetched but the art of nude women which are idolised and applauded by spectators usually are produced by male artists and often depict completely unrealistic body standards. but as soon as a woman depicts female bodies in the way that she sees them or even her own body, she gets criticised.
G-idle is quickly becoming my favorite girl group because of their message and their non-existent fear to challenge the status quo. For them, this isn’t just one era of feminism, it is their entire concept and belief as group and I love that.
CLC did that too and maybe Soyeon was behind some of their songs or it’s a company thing.
@@versacegang42 Idk CLC. Which songs of theirs did that so I can listen to them? Thanks.
@@czechmatey Helicopter
@@czechmatey listen to NO by CLC I believe it was also written by soyeon. Both are feminist anthems
@@samuellee1041 Thanks! I like these lyrics!
Shuhua is amazing this comeback her voice is so powerful omg
the lyricism of this song is phenomenal and the way its essentially making fun of society. personally i think they title and everything is a way to mock and redirect attention from when people wanna search "idol nude" they'll get this song instead. soyeon's lines in her raps essentially is her saying "oh you thought you were getting something else? nope :)" the song isnt villianizing femininity, its reclaiming it
Yup and if people wanna search for "children nude" or something like that in korean they'll also get this song instead (because idle=children in korean) so it also helps to stop pedophiles
What.. That's actually frickin smart..Props to Soyeon for this concept's idea.
99
@@penyubrainrot Yes, it's three-fold. Whether people are searching GIDLE nxde or female/children nxde, this song will show up with the opening line "Why you think that 'bout nude?" And the ending lines "I'm born nxde. You're the pervert." She's honestly such a genius!
I should say the ending is extremely layered like the rest of the concept. At what point did we start sexualizing bodies? The scene where she's literally up for auction and says "Sorry this isn't an R-rated show. Refunds are thataway." is so iconic. This is probably their best era!!
Hwaa, Tomboy, Lion. Even B-sides like Maybe. Every concept they do is layered. You really have to think and research because there are subtle things throughout. I'm amazed.
Soyeon talked about how Marilyn was the main inspo for this song, she was always seen as just this sex symbol and often had her value reduced to her appearance when in reality she was also a super intelligent woman who was succesful and often spoke about social issues, the main "slogan" for this cb is "I´d rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not" so yeah, they really went after the media and the public with this one kjdskfdsakl
The Banksy reference was the cherry on top to me, the rejection of the pure comercialization of art instead of its appreciation, they just rly thought about it all when making this cb
I feel like all the members embodied the concept so well, the video is amazing, the lyrics are amazing, their vocals are amazing (as always), and Shuhua especially really got to shine which I love
Idle songs always bring great messages and this one is no exception, I also feel that, like you said, their music has become more and more personal and I absolutely love the way they`re evolving as artists, these girls are just amazing
Piggybacking off your incredible point about Banksy and the commercialization of art, i think the current kpop industry is finding itself at the same position, where new groups are being pumped out on the daily, releasing generic, mass produced music. I’m guessing Soyeon is also making a point on how saturated the industry was as well
@@Lanathecoquetteembodiment i definitely agree with u!!! Feels like so many 4th gen groups are following a similar music formula and the companies are constantly debuting new groups trying to benefit off of the global success kpop has gained but it feels artificial a lot of the times and honestly ends up undermining the actual talent so many of these idols have, like the company molds the idol around the concept they want to put out instead of molding the concept around the artist - which is what gidle does amazingly.
I see so many super talented kpop artists who dont get to showcase the things they’re good at bc the company doesnt really think about how to bring out the best in them, but focuses on jumping on the newest trend and stuff
Also its not even about the depth of the music itself, I love pop songs that dont necessarily have a super deep meaning, but things can be fun and still be original/on brand for the singer
@@juliaherold4056 Yeah
Only a handful of 4th gen group that captured me the most
And (G)i-dle is one of them . Also can i just say this
Nxde has the best production value for a kpop m/v this year ? . They reference a lot of iconic person and moment like Marilyn Monroe and Banksy but not replicating it a lot to the point of imitation .
phenomenal take ,, w for that!!
The title also is very intentional. In their language idle can be spelled like or sound like a word for children, also gross people like that put an x in the word often. So if someone tries to look up...certain things, then their song and things about their song will come up first and drown out the awful results.
Its so genius
Edit
Also, the line about "if you were expecting some R rated show oh im sorry but thats not what we're showing" hits a bit different 👀👀👀
I find her line in her rap "did you expect an R rated show? I'm sorry" genius. she knew many people would get excited by the title and the teaser photos and hope for a sexy concept for THEIR pleasure. And she enjoyed throwing it in their faces.
Along with “Your the pervert...Yah” is a hard line.
EXACTLYYYYY, that's why I was so hyped when I read the lyrics!!!!!! Soyeon's rap +++++++++++ shushu's line "you've got a dirty mind" like FUCKKKKKK
I imagine all those people who expected a "R rated show" bcs of the teasers just to get told by I-DLE that they're a fucking pervert aaaaaaaaaaa
@@Mezman999 jeez shuhua delivered it so well, her improvement is crazy
@@victjsofjsmdngor True
Soyeon is such a pure genius at this point. The song is soooo well-produced.
The absolute peak of the MV was Soyeon undressing on stream, and the comments during the live stream are just so on point and topical, I can't get enough of this.
I saw a video of someone saying that part didn’t fit the mv and I had to gawk at how utterly wrong they were.
Nxde is not just a song
It's a MOVEMENT!
They say change starts with you and Soyeon is initiating a change
She is voicing what a hundred female entertainers across the world from time immemorial would have liked to express
I just know idle are being blessed by the souls of those numerous women across ages
We have a proverb here "only a diamond dealer can accurately know the worth of a diamond, for everyone else it's a stone that shines too much and hurts the eyes"
Nxde is that gem
Diamonds are just a scam made by one company though......
@@Nick-dx2pt ??
@Too Beautiful To Handle I'm sorry I didn't elaborate
It's a movement within the k-pop industry
Idk if you know k-pop lyricists would wet their pants rather than writing such honest lyrics
Soyeon met with lot of criticism from cube and even poptime couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the line "you're a pervert" and literally said that he felt Soyeon was joking and wouldn't actually insert the phrase in the song
Movements can be global and local
period
I very much enjoyed the Jean Harlow-Veronica Lake-Marilyn inspiration. On top of that, they are hitting a strong concept of cabaret/burlesque- which is unique in Kpop because that concept (as far as aesthetics and sonics go) typically renders… old.
The girls were not shy about creating a song that doesn’t sound like music generated for 12 year olds. That shows courage.
And they look beautiful but idols always look sublime. So that much is a given and less impressive than the boldness of their intent and execution.
They have so much meaning in their songs and nothing they create is “empty”. I appreciate them so damn much. And their talent is astronomical.
There outros always SLAP
You missed at they end they added a thanks to Marilyn and Bansky for the inspiration. Soyeon stated in her episode of that this album’s concept was “I’d rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I’m not” and referenced Marilyn because she did a lot for the feminist movement and was incredibly smart she read lots of philosophical books (and also Leaves of Grass which was referenced in the music video) but society only remembers her as the iconic dumb hot blonde. Also the character is a reference to Betty Boop. Soyeon is even initiating her voice during the intro and bridge.
I think the cartoon is more Jessica Rabbit
@@chiedzawith2ds agree, the characters is definitely more of Jessica Rabbit or Holli Would. OP probably mentioned Betty Boop because Soyeon also reference her in the I Live Alone episode
@@chiedzawith2ds it could be jessica rabbit as well but i was just comparing that plus the intro especially , it gives the same vibe as the intro screen to every betty boop episode so thats why i say it could be inspired by her
soyeon is such a genuis she made such an empowerful message and music and its soo good too
You hit the nail on the head with the purpose of the Marilyn Monroe references like Minnie’s “diamonds are a girls best friend” scene and the lyrics to reference it as well. That’s exactly it. She was a smart, lovely woman who was cast as a dumb blonde or perceived as one in-universe in most things she acted in. She was a gorgeous lady, and the objectification she faced was awful. Women and men hated her and treated her like dirt.
Shuhua feels so different in this comeback. She keeps on improving every single time.
I almost feel like everything leading up to this was so this song had more impact. She didn’t want to dye her hair, but wanted to go with the blond here. She doesn’t like revealing clothes but goes with the clothing design. Like- I can be this amazing idol, and I can do WHATEVER I want
I don't know that I'd agree that (G)I-DLE's music is becoming MORE personal over time - "Uh Oh" was an incredibly personal slapback to all the people who had run Soyeon down during her trainee and pre-debut periods and who were trying to get close to her once she was successful. What I DO agree with is that (G)I-DLE's success has bought them the freedom to BE personal in their music and message in a way that other successful groups usually don't embrace. Coming back more popular than ever after the horrible 2021 that they suffered seems to have freed them even more - the whole theme of this era feels like "You can like it or not, but we're THIS. And we're not going to change for you or anyone."
And yes. YEH SHUHUA. Her era at last.
gidle is seriously outstanding, like wow.
I love the fact that this song not only has a empowering message, it also has a very positive impact. Let me elaborate. Since the song title “Nxde” was released, if people search 노드(n*de) or 여자(female) 누드 or 아이들 (idle, meaning children) 누드 the result will show this song and all the information related to this song and the promotion of I love album, instead of explicit leaked video clips. This can really help protecting women and children’s rights.
I have never thought about this and it's amazing!
The only person who reviewed this song and got the message. Like women and men all went: look how good they all look. The only thing I think that they got from the lyrics was: how do I look? Like literally, I was appalled. And G-Idle proved their point to me twice and it broke me and made me laugh at the same time. So, honestly, thank you for existing. And yes, this song needs more views, recognition and just...attention on it. For the message. Cause yes, they are gorgeous, but their voices, their concept, message, the inspiration...is just something that only G-Idle could put out without getting disbanded day two I think. The only other person would be Hyuna, maybe. But no other group. Like anyone else would get slashed. But thanks to Soyeon's extravagant and perfect persona that has prepared everyone over the years made this possible. I doubt the Korean tv will ever play it, but man, I can only wish.
Also, because of this song I've learned that Marylin Monroe actually spoke up about Se-ual harassment, about how females are treated poorly at work, entertainment... and how, in general, they are sexualized and forced to act in a certain way to appeal to the male gaze. And the line: You tricked me, you a liar. Some learned that she was actually a smart woman who used her looks to ...survive. Although the ones who were in control of her career choose her look, the direction of her career and all. And she just did such a good job, she fooled everyone but she was never her persona. And then they kept selling her as a s-x symbol and buried anything else. It just goes to show that's what they wanted her to be and that's all that mattered. And that happens today too of course. Like...I don't think males are an exception, but if they talk about anything that it's 'important' or 'revolutionary' everyone listens. A woman? She's complaining...like 8 out of 10 in the industry. Or more...but in real life? Ha. Try to care about anything besides pleasing the boss or your future/ present husband/ child. Nah. Like it's incredible how brainwashed we are all. I don't think anyone is really 'evil' and wants anyone to be unhappy, but if you're always told you should do this and only this then one day you will start saying the same thing even if you don't 100 percent believe it or realize that nothing is truly forbidden or wrong.
The problem here is that Soyeon's message to quit looking only at surface appearance, especially with a dirty mind, is directly in conflict with part of the job description of being an idol - looking good and displaying sex appeal. Her gripe is valid, but it's essentially impossible to disassociate the two, which is why it's so difficult to get the problematic people to change.
That said, simply appreciating how good the idols look while still being respectful is not a crime. It's not a deep perspective, but there's nothing inherently wrong with it, and I'm sure Soyeon would acknowledge that. She knows the nature of her own career field better than the rest of us, including how the fans react.
No literally it pissed me off the number of reactions I watched where people were GAWKING, being like "omg they are SO SEXY" with not a single thought about the lyrics, the message... like yes they are beautiful women but like, idk, LISTEN to them for once??
You are partly right, however, Norma (Marilyn’s real name) did enjoy “playing” Marilyn Monroe. She had a lot more autonomy than people give her credit for. She came up with the name Marilyn Monroe herself. That persona wasn’t forced onto her, it was the stereotypical dumb blonde movie roles that were forced onto her. She wanted to play more diverse characters and they wouldn’t let her.
This song was released less than 48 hours ago and it's already have 29 milion views so I think they are doing great
@@a.j.1819 You are right. But I didn't think she didn't want to do it...that's the thing. She was smart and she was able to fool everyone into thinking she was who they wanted her to be. I am merely saying that they didn't want to hear or see her doing anything else. That's the point I was making, she was smart and she was talented, so she not only knew how but knew to give the viewers and her superiors what they wanted and it worked.
(g)-idle are artists but not just a kpop girl group. there are a bunch of kpop girl groups delivering female empowerment nowadays (which is good). but this comeback is just at another level!! there are so many references and messages. their meanings are deep and have multiple layers. it is NOT just slogan shouting. good messages always provoke people to think deeper. they did that and that's why they are artists!
I KNOW RIGHT!, They dont just shout, they delivers, and that was so freaking valueable. True artist!
They killed it. And Soyeon is incredible. She is the only female solo artist thar reminds me of the artistry of G-Dragon. She is a 360 degrees kind of artist. INCREDIBLE.
Hammer --> Nail
GD and TOP(lyrics) together transformed Kpop for Big Bang. Hanbin was no slouch for Ikon and still is massively talented as a soloist. Stray Kids' efforts are not going unnoticed but Soyeon's start and works remind me of GD and TOP the most and I include TOP because of their similar cool rapping style and lyrical talent. I'm omitting some other prominent groups that also self-produce because they didn't do so since day 1 like the aforementioned artists.
@@onlydbrasko @D Brasko Exactly, right? Her rapping style, great visual aura and stage presence, the fact that she writes AND produces beside singing and rapping, she really reminds me of G-Dragon! 🔥
@@leolita2001 I'm sure that GD himself would agree. Unlike GD who's turned into more of an artist and designer for his business interest, I see Soyeon one day running her own agency like PSY and owning her brand like GD. People like them create options that cannot be foreseen by the average person so kudos to them for seizing the days.
The first😅t😅r t
Shuhua. That's all I really have to say for this comeback. But in all seriousness, Shuhua obviously absolutely killed this comeback more than any other, and I love how the message of the song, saying to the public they shouldn't decide what G-Idle's members' bodies should look like, is emphasised from the confidence from the members. I love G-Idle.
Also seeing that Shuhua is one of those people that really fight back hard against other people who do wrong against others shows her confidence.
Releasing tomboy with that very clear feminist message when sk had just elected a misogynist president and anti-feminism was on a high was already gutsy enough but I'm absolutely astonished that they continued this with nxde. Tomboy had such success it would have been easy -and safer- to go down a more common road instead of using their fame and success to communicate an even more powerful message. The references to Marilyn were brilliant; I was frankly worried when I heard that this comeback was going to be inspired by her because so many tend to stop at "very sexy but overly sexualized :(( " when she was also a very bright and intelligent, ambitious woman who had her road blocked multiple times unfairly.
Also, I'm sure it's not everyone's cup of tea but I personally really liked the way they sampled Bizet's Habanera. I went to see Carmen multiple times and Habanera is a favourite of mine so it was a pleasant surprise. Idle's concepts are always 10/10.
Oh my gosh so it's Habanera! So fitting 😭
For me an other layer of the song was that yes women don’t want to be objectified and loved only bc of their look and body, but that doesn’t mean that they themself can’t love their body and can’t appreciate their femininity. We were born with this body, we want to love ourself and be sexy and confident without the public objectifying us and thinking immediately about sex. “I’m born nude/ you’ve got a dirty mind/ rude”
(G)i-dle really is a concept queen! They serve us differently every comebacks. So fresh!
Shuhua's "How Do I Look" made me so happy, im addicted
been a Nevie since Han and I've never been disappointed. They make me so happy
I already being a fan to Soyeon since Produce 101 and Unpretty Rapstar 2. Trust me, she's a lyrical genius, especially when she was in UP 2.
they said in an interview that the marilyn reference goes deeper, as you said! they were exploring how people overlooked her talents only bc of her looks and the rumors people made about her, and made her something she was not. also how they, as a girl group, can relate to the press painting pictures of them that aren't accurate, and how them and marilyn could've had a lot in common in many aspects.
The music is not my cup of tea but the message is soooo good! Soyeon is always a genius - in e ve ry aspect. Like I always said. She don't need CUBE. CUBE needs her. (G)I-DLE is on a level of some boy groups who produce their own stuff.
Shuhua was in Tomboy absolutely great or actually already in Oh My God.
If im not mistaken Lorelie is the name of Marilyn's character in Gentleman Prefer Blondes. That verse seems to be in reference to how everyone equated Marilyn to her characters when she was a well read bookworm.
Soyeon wrote such amazing lyrics. She must've done so much research to come up with this. I mean, Lorelei!! That line is so perfect. Soyeon, just like Marilyn Monroe, is a real bookworm.
I think Shuhua got so many lines and shined this comeback because this is a topic that's important to her. Shuhua has often said she wants to maintain natural beauty and not change her appearance much for the sake of others and often calls out trolls or people making mean comments. She isn't afraid to be herself.
I've been counting down hours since the release for your reaction 🥹
I think its so important for Shuhua to have shined so much in this cb because, being the literal visual of the group, the message really shines close to home for her position. Making this statement and standing out so much in it while being whats seen as the "pretty face" of the group is so outstanding.
i love the way they're saying "baby how do i look", because it sounds like they actually dgaf what the man thinks about them, but they ask him only because they're supposed to. they're expected to care about male gaze and i love how they depict it there
and I'm also so gay for these women. please, shuhua, minnie, marry me
i understand if some people don't like the song because it's clearly not a mainstream sound, but you can't deny this is a piece of art that deserves all the hype
always loving your commentaries form of therapy, love u ❤️
People are saying that the cartoon character is SOOJIN!
Small detail in Leaves of Grass, the book Soyeon was holding.
Leaves of Grass is also notable for its discussion of delight in sensual pleasures during a time when such candid displays were considered immoral. The book was highly controversial during its time for its explicit sexual imagery, and Whitman was subject to derision by many contemporary critics.
Soyeon's attention to detail is INSANE!
G-Idle is my ultimate favorite group. Their concepts and their self produced/written songs just hit way harder for me than other kpop groups. I also found them at a time I was struggling and they just inspire me so much!
That’s why we stan them they’re incredible at what they’re doing Soyeon is a masterpiece of an mastermind she would own Kpop as a soloist
Soyeon’s musical genius amazes me every comeback!! Giving Shuhua the killing part in the chorus is remarkable and IM HERE FOR IT 👏🏾👏🏾
Edit: after checking all the dates of comebacks with idle and all comeback dates that include Soojin, I was mistake and I apologize for the confusion lol
Soojin left the group on August 14th though, so I'm not sure about that last sentence 😅
not sure about that last sentence lmao but some are theorizing that the animated jessica rabbit type character is actually soojin based on mole placement (tho i can't confirm myself LOL)
@@HetaClaude yeah it is her, it looks more like soojin than anyone else
This cb clearly shows that Gidle is definitely not limited to the kpop girl group label but still since they have to work in the industry they have to somehow make these statements "work" in their pieces, and they did it so well in nxde. Also not the catchiest of their songs but it definitely grows on you, I've found myself humming to 'how do I look' multiple times already. Ty for the amazing reaction PD
This is just art, Soyeon is a genius
Something I just realised as well (I don’t know if it’s been mentioned already) but the way it transitions from Minnie’s light vocals to Yuqi’s deep tones was so perfectly done when you think about how Marylin has said herself that “Marylin Monroe” is a character she plays for the world and her real voice was actually very deep. A modern example I can think of is Paris Hilton.
It's very important. Cube told her not to do it, but Soyeon would not be dissuaded. She has, I believe, found her power.
It's probably been said in the comments but the amazing thing about this sing is not only the lyrics, but also that people in korea who try to look up cp online are going to get results for this song. G-idles korean name is the word for female child/little girl. People who want to look up that word with "nude" attached to it are now gonna get results for G-idle. Feminists in korea are praising soyeon for that as far as I've heard :)
You got a link for an article or any comments saying about that. Im interested thanks.
@@lauraherz99 ok thank you!
Im sad that soojin didnt get to be in this song because she used to inspire from marilyn to improve her facials. I would love to see her doing this concept
the cartoon is meant to represent Soojin, Shuhua said it was her favorite part of the video and we should really give a good look to it, now go to "Nxde" 1:49 paused at 4k and check the frame you will find something that got missing in "TOMBOY"
I mean they are beyond The title: IDOL.
They are f**king ARTISTS!
Giving us MASTERPIECE!
I actually had the pleasure of seeing (G)I-DLE live this summer and I thought it was so cool because every single one of the members was speaking english the whole time, which I thought was very impressive and I haven't seen another group do that since. Also they very shameless and badass and that is two words that I think describe the group and this comeback very well. They have this "we will do what we want and we don't care what you think" attitude about them which I love.
Gidle is THAT girl group, they are no afraid of talking or making song with hots topics specially in korea
I feel like Soyeon keeps reminding people of Soojin, even when she's not around. Like Shushua's visual looks like Soojin this era, and the animated girl could be her too
with every comeback she makes, Yuqi just screams she wants to sing hard, strong rock songs
When they released Oh My God, I thought it would be hard to top that concept and mv, but omg this one... It got me hooked since the first concept photos... It's so them, so fresh, unique, so goooood omggg
I’m also thinking about the word Nxde and how whenever you’re naked, you’re exposed, vulnerable and what I’m thinking is they want to be seen in a deeper view not just as women who are only there to look pretty.
Shuhua, with adlibs, actually got the second most lines in this song after Soyeon.
They remind me every time why they are one of my favorite girl group ever. They never miss.
Soyeon never misses ! I stan her, and her talent.
And Shuhua ?! I've always liked her, but damn ! She just showed up and showed out. Left no crumbs, and even ate the damn plate.
they’re so unique, the song is still growing on me but i absolutely love the concept
Nobody does it like Soyeon .... She is very underrated ! No 4th gen is doing it like her . They are taking kpop to the next level, it's not always bubbly & cheerful . We are definitely ready for this kind of slap. Damn it's a Bopp, if u understand it you'll love it ..
Maybe it's a mistranslation, but I can't help but think about the difference between the phrase "I'm nude" and "I'm a nude". "I'm nude" makes me think about honesty, authenticity, and letting everyone see you for who you are. But being *a* nude means being put up for display for nothing but your body and looks. A nude is stripped of their personhood and becomes a fantasy, an object that people place their own ideas of who the person depicted is
The fact that Mamamoo, I-dle, Le Sserafim and Kep1er all released power anthems instead of cute-sy songs while maintaining their image and sound tho. i-dle's edge is they're embracing the side that public doesn't talk that much is a big wow for me.
This song deserves a Grammy Nomination..
I love how meaningful yet catchy the lines are, not just repeated and shallow lines..
if Lady Gaga or a well known American artist performs this even half as much as they did, I kid you not they are winning the Grammys..
Another thing in the music video is that the part where she is standing on a pedestal in a green dress looks like the cover of the book "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo". The book is a historical fiction about a Hollywood movie star and her rise to fame and the criticism she received. Not to mention the author says that Marylin Monroe was one of her inspirations for the book.
"Soyeon moved me" 🥺🥺🥺 i guess she would love to hear that, because this is what is all about.
I get mad at how talented and intelligent Soyeon is. Like idk how to explain the feeling better
(G)I_dle seriously killed it with this comeback. I've not been a fan for that long (generally avoid girlgroups cause body image issues) but I really appreciate the message they're conveying. I love how daring they are and actually address the issues instead of just hinting at them. The message of Nxde is very clear and in-your-face and I love it! Also I'm a huge fan of the burlesque aesthetic/sound so this was bound to be an absolute hit for me.
Nxde singlehandedly made me appreciate being a woman even more, all the references are amazing and having seen Soyeon's behind the scenes while directing the girls you can see everything has a meaning. What a genius song!
Not idle making a new war inside me with Nxde and Lion.
Both songs are so amazing with amazing messages
I gotta say, this comeback is absolutely GENIUS. Not just in terms of the song, the message, the concept, but also just pure marketing. The girls are coming off huge success with Tomboy, and I'm sure they knew that 1) there will be many more eyes on them this comeback, and 2) it will be hard to match or top that success. So how do they go about it? By bringing forth a concept so meaningful and important that, like PD, you may not love the song, but you absolutely cannot hate the message. It's truly genius.
Really enjoyed the attention to detail that this comeback had. The MV and concept was outstanding, though understandable that the song itself is not for everyone. I personally enjoyed the title track and all the B-sides were great
YES I WAS WAITING FOR YOUR REACTION AHHHHH!!!!!!!
sammeee
me too
Lorelei is the name of the gold-digger type character Marilyn played in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, which is the film Minnie's pink outfit with the big bow and men holding the paper hearts are a reference to. (A diamond tiara is a part of the plot.) Leaves of Grass (the book that Soyeon and the animated blonde are holding) is a collection of philosophical poems. Marilyn was a big lover of reading, hence the bookworm line.
Leaves of Grass is actually a book Marilyn was photographed reading
I really like all of the undertones and double meanings that G-idle worked into this comeback:
1) The song lyrics
2) The Hollywood actresses during the 1900s that are represented here:
Soyeon - as I believe Mamie Van Doren - from what the lyrics and the set describe - who was kind of a harbinger of the rebellious, bad girl style of films from Hollywood (The trouble maker headline on the 2nd newspaper that Soyeon rips), and who was a major sex symbol at the time.
(Also during this segment Soyeon refers to Lorelei (a German legend) who was a beautiful maiden who threw herself into the Rhine River in despair over a faithless lover then was transformed into a siren who lured fishermen to destruction which makes sense with this concept)
Minnie - Marylin Monroe - as in her first scene with the pink dress and men in suits closely resembles Marylin in "Men prefer Blondes" where she sang "Diamonds are a girl's best Friend"
(I am not sure about the rest though, sorry)
3) The little details - for example the book that the cartoon character and Soyeon both read during Soyeon's first rap (Self made woman) is a poetry book called Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman - which is considered the greatest contribution to American poetry, and represents the celebration of his philosophy of life and humanity while it praises nature and the individual human's role in it. Which, in my opinion, ties into the "I am born nude" (2.48 - M/V) line as naturally we are born nude, without much hair nor clothes.
4) All of the Hollywood actress giant pictures in the background of a lot of scenes.
But generally this comeback was really amazing also Shuhua's vocals and visuals this comeback were shocking in the best way, so thank you (G) - Idle for another amazing comeback, and thank you for reading this (sorry if it didn't make too much sense at times).
Ah plus, the Leaves of Grass also references the "bookworm obsessed with philosophy" line
Also thank you Form of Therapy for making such an amazing review on G-idles newest comeback
you could also say that soyeon's style in her first verse was a reference to Madonna, who wore the iconic Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra (the dress that soyeon wears is in reference to) in the 1990 music video for her song Vogue, and ended up popularizing it in the States.
Love it thanks
As a song that I consume it’s a 6 or 7 out of 10 since it’s not a huge replayable song, but in terms of creativity and just sheer artistic power this is probably my favorite comeback of all time. They all delivered and went beyond; as vocals go they were each super bold yet cohesive, and of course the meaning goes deeper then I could try to analyze- and it’s insane. Listening to this reminded me of when Soyeon had her audition for Produce 101 and Cheetah complimented her- not just for her performance but for her artistic skill.
At the time, I was like hmm.. her performance is memorable and her skill is undoubtedly one of the strongest that was shown through the first two episodes, but I was so confused what the magic Cheetah saw was. But now it all makes sense; this is such a daring song, and it was planned and executed amazingly. Soyeon, once again reminding the world that she’s one of the strongest producers and artist because she can make a song that isn’t an ear worm (for me), but it lingers heavily on my heart that I want to replay it and dissect it more.
The more u listen the more u love it
As a non fan, I can see that this group's versatility is insane, Like they can nail every concept, I might start knowing them
Idle and Soyeon are once again making a statement with art. Isn't that what good art is about? Brilliant once again.
Soyeon is my favourite artist (music-wise) at this point. Most of her songs are so impactful, meaningful and empowering. Like feminism and empowerment is a theme troughout their career and they are one of the few groups who truly stand behind it.
funfact: fans speculated that the animated girl in the scenes are representing soojin!
Shuhua said its her favorite part of the video, go to "Nxde" pause it and move to 1:49 and you will see in the frame a thing that got missing in "TOMBOY" which basically confirms the toon is Soojin's
FINALLY SOMEONE COMMENTING ON YUQI'S PART BECAUSE FRR
It's one of the highlights it sounds so THEATRICAL
Fun fact: I rewatch your videos for my favorite artist all the time 😂 i’ve been following So-yeon since produce 101 and thus also (g)i-dle. I’m very proud of Shuhua. I don’t know if it was learning the language better or the departure of Soojin (😭) but she’s worked hard and her confidence is 1000 times improved from how it used to be
Another thing I’d like to mention is the way soyeon sings in the beginning is alike to how Betty boop sings.
gidle and lsrfm coming back together both with overflowing girl power concepts, both VERY DIFFERENT, is just such a WIN
10:52
Leaves of Grass is a book of poetry by Walt Whitman written in the mid 1800s. It was PRETTY controversial for the time and often referred to as...well...smut.
I think it's a great reference on Soyeon's part for two reasons.
1. Whitman was one of the founders of "free verse" poetry. A significant number of modern poets and social media poets now employ this style. There's no defined structure, rhyming, meter etc. It, quite literally, freed poetry from the box.
2. Much like the style of poetry, the content of Leaves of Grass did away with the general sentiment of poetry at the time. In the 1800s there was a lot of emphasis on the ethereal world, the religious, the spiritual, intangibles. For example, his contemporary, Emily Dickinson, who wrote about things like death, hope.
Leaves of Grass was about as far away from that as you could get. It was highly criticized at the time as obscene and immoral.
The reason is that Leaves of Grass focused heavily on humanity, not spirituality. It discussed man as self, it discussed material goods, it discussed sex and sensuality.
Both Whitman and Soyeon challenge us to consider how and why we think about "nude" (feminine sensuality, sexuality, ourselves as humans etc) the way we do. We make things "rude." We force a value and meaning onto things that don't necessarily HAVE to have that value and meaning. We commercialize and commodify things like sex and art (this is where the banksy reference makes perfect sense.)
If you've ever heard of "I Sing The Body Electric," that poem was by Whitman and published in LoG. I'm going to quote bits of it because it's a great work and I highly recommend it as a read. It's quite long, though:
"The love of the body of man or woman balks account, the body itself balks account,
That of the male is perfect, and that of the female is perfect."
"Be not ashamed women, your privilege encloses the rest, and is the exit of the rest, You are the gates of the body, and you are the gates of the soul."
"If any thing is sacred the human body is sacred."
I'm not gonna lie. I actively dislike the SOUND of the song, which is weird since I'm a huge fan of (g)i-dle. But the meaning is flawlessly executed and all the little references sprinkled throughout add significantly to the meaning.
Also, "Lorelei" definitely refers to Marilyn Monroe's character in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the film which is also being referenced in Minnie's scene.
Some background information on the references in this music video for anyone who is interested:
The part in the beginning where Minnie is dressed in a pink dress is very much a reference to Marilyn Monroe in the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes where she sings Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend in a pink dress as the character Lorelei. In that movie she manages to get her hands on a diamond tiara. So there are lots of references in the lyrics to that movie as well. Most characters played by Marilyn were pretty women who weren't the smartest on the surface. To me the song seems to be referencing Marilyn's characters, movies and even the image people have put on her. The pretty, dumb blonde. That stereotype still exists today describing women who are pretty can't be smart at the same time. Then later on in de music video, the white dress with the short, curled blonde hair is a reference to the iconic dress Marilyn Monroe wore in the movie The Seven Year Itch, where it blows up in the wind coming from the subway grating. I think it's smart to come out with this song and music video soon after the movie about Marilyn Monroe's life called 'Blonde' was released since it stirred a lot of commotion and therefor got a lot of attention.
Later on in the music video we see a painting being shredded inside it's frame, which is a reference to the Banksy painting which was being auctioned off and got shredded just after it had been sold.
this is amazing from start to finish oh lord i love everything about that moment for gidle
(G)I-DLE's been so daring with their comebacks lately. It feels like they're kind of breaking away from typical girl group comebacks especially in terms of MV and song lyrics. They're very bold as a group and it's really nice to see.
miyeons and minnies voice were so outstanding... i cant pick whose era it was honestly.
10:48 LORELEI LEE is one of Marilyn Monroe's famous roles. Here's one of the quotes on the movie "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)"
Lorelei Lee : Don't you know that a man being rich is like a girl being pretty? You wouldn't marry a girl just because she's pretty, but my goodness, doesn't it help?
Esmond Sr. : Have you got the nerve to tell me you don't want to marry my son for his money?
Lorelei Lee : It's true.
Esmond Sr. : Then what do you want to marry him for?
Lorelei Lee : I want to marry him for YOUR money.
Mr. Esmond Sr. : Say, they told me you were stupid! You don't sound stupid to me!
*Lorelei Lee : I can be smart when it's important. But most men don't like it.*
Iconic
the song is mostly inspired by marilyn monroe’s quote “id rather be hated for who i am than to be loved for who im not”, and since marilyn moneoe is also very sexualized and her other aspects are ignored, soyeon combined these 2 ideas and came up with nxde.
For one, nude means to bare it all, take off all the images and show the truest self, like how the dance in the chorus is them unzipping, then flip their clothes open. then they asked the question “how do i look” because they just “put on their beautiful self”, even if the answer they got might be “i hate it”.
on the other hand, obviously nude also reference the hypersexualization of MM and in kpop industry. they were born nude, im in my natural and pure state, and you are a weirdo for always sexualize everything.
and also they cross out the U to say that we are not getting nude for u, but to show our true self. so in this sense, nxde is like a new word created by them, and is used as a noun to describe someone like that, hence “im a nude” (which i think would be more obvious if its written like “im a nxde”)
your the only one i’ve seen that understood the message. everyone just thought it was a sexy concept
i personally think the banksy reference is commentary on the commodification and fetishisation of the female body. women cannot do anything without it being SOMEONES fetish. someone’s getting off to this no matter what. you can be beautiful and of course people love it , you try to break free from the commodification and people love to watch the struggle. the tortured woman is so fetishised and it’s so evident in how if you aren’t a straight cis white male, you’re a p*rn category. the shredding adds value. the struggle adds value. people always watch.
soyeon has said the marilyn reference was intentional and deeper than surface
Both PD and the comments already said everything I wanted to say so I'll just say: Jeon Soyeon is nothing short of a genius
Damn I'm late but this.... This truly feels revolutionary. This song needed to grow on me but I literally watched the mv 10 times right after release so honestly it didn't take long 😂 but besides that, the whole message of this is so great especially at the current time. I also just LOVE the visuals. Now I also get how Tomboy was a re-debut for them. Nxde truly feels like a second comeback and they seem to have developed a whole different style. I can't wait to hear more of it!
Most people get the Marilyn and Banksy reference in reaction but the instrumental part during the chorus part right after they say "yes I'm nude" is very close to Habanera from the opera Carmen as well. Not a direct sample but draws heavily from it. This makes for a good reference and fits in with Nude's underlying message because at the time the opera first came out its themes and the character Carmen herself were scandalous amongst critics who were scathing in their review of the "behavior of a free woman" in the opera.
"Loralei" is a name of German origin which means "She whose singing lures men to destruction". And the sound you were asking about is a trumpet with a mute in the bell. It was a sound popular in 1920's jazz.
I can’t express how impressed I am with soyeon!!!! I’ve been i fan since debuted and every comeback I realise how talented she is. I also watched her in unpretty rapstar and I didn’t know who she was but she did leave an impression on me.
I could talk about this comeback for days and i'm saying this as a non-fan. It's incredible. Will check out the album. Jeon Seoyeon, and Gidle, huge respect.
such a powerful song for women. it's only becoming a popular topic to recognize the tropes and archetype forced on women in media since the beginning of time. we've always been some dramatic story to tell and never the unique human's we are. so proud to hear a song talking about it and displaying it, especially in korea! power to em
Shuhua's vocals is really amazing. She's shining this comeback
I don't see enough people talking about the Carmen's melody in the chorus so here's a bit of insight!
It comes from the Carmen's aria "Habanera", which is the introduction of the opera's main character. I found some infos about it, and I understand why they chose that piece exactly.
"Carmen owes its longevity, in part, to Bizet's sparkling music, and to its fearless, flirtatious title character. But for all her sexual charisma, Carmen's own fate, in Bizet's opera, says something about how society views strong women.
Carmen is the supreme diva of operatic femmes fatales. She smokes and drinks, runs with a band of smugglers and brings men to their knees just by crooning her breathy Habanera.
In her famous aria, Carmen sings, "Love is a rebellious bird that no one can tame..." It's the type of carefree mantra she lives by. Within minutes, she'll have a hapless soldier named Don Jose half-crazed with desire."
I invite you all to check out this article about the opera: www.npr.org/2007/09/22/14347881/carmen-on-the-couch-analyzing-bizets-bold-heroine
I've been their fan since pre debut and I am so incredibly happy to see Shuhua FINALLY feel like a proper member of the group. They tried giving her these talking rap verses to balance her lack of lines before but imo that didn't work in her favour, because then she just ended up sounding underwhelming next to Soyeon. And when she didn't get those verses she just got one or two words here and there but she rarely properly sang. I always had a soft spot for her and it was sad how she kinda felt like an accessory to the rest of the group. But now she's actually getting the same lines as the rest of the vocalists and she's doing such an amazing job. Now she feels like she fully belongs. Would have loved to see this before Soojin left but I'm still happy we got to this place at all.