The group’s “new era” has been met with mixed reactions.
Earlier this year, (G)I-DLE announced a major shift by changing their name to i-dle. This decision came alongside a highly anticipated comeback that stirred quite a buzz among fans.
The comeback saw the group re-recording past hits, now as a five-member unit, and many fans noted subtle nods to their former member, Soojin, who left amid bullying accusations.
I-dle’s Special Album Release Triggers Heavily Divided Reactions Because Of Former Member Soojin
On May 23, during an episode of The Seasons featuring actor Park Bo Gum, Soyeon tackled some of the swirling speculation regarding their name change, directly linking it to Soojin’s departure from the group.
When asked by Park Bo Gum about the rationale behind their new name, Soyeon revealed that the group initially believed they were named “i-dle” when they debuted. However, the unexpected emergence of the name “(G)I-DLE” in various articles led to confusion.
When we were originally preparing to debut, we thought our name was just ‘i-dle.’ But when we debuted, the articles suddenly said ‘(G)I-DLE.’
— Soyeon
Soyeon explained that despite the hurdles associated with changing their name on all official platforms, the group always identified as “i-dle.” The realization that they could officially adopt this name only after gaining recognition created a significant delay.
We’ve always been ‘i-dle.’ So we used to say, ‘Let’s change it to just ‘i-dle’ once more people recognize us as that.’ But we had to change all the official sites too, and it wasn’t an easy process. We weren’t able to change it for seven years, but now we’ve finally made it official.
— Soyeon
It turns out that the name “i-dle” has had a foundational role in the group’s identity long before their official debut. Fans can surely look forward to what this new chapter holds for them!
