(G)I-DLE creating splash with new song 'Hwaa'

K-pop girl band (G)I-DLE has returned with a new album "I burn." Courtesy of Cube Entertainment

By Dong Sun-hwa

K-pop girl band (G)I-DLE is making waves with its new track "Hwaa."

The six-piece act grabbed the No. 1 spot on Genie and Bugs' real-time charts with "Hwaa" soon after its release on Monday afternoon. This is the first time that the group has made such an achievement since its debut in 2018.

It was a dream come true for leader Soyeon, who said during an online album showcase that she hoped (G)I-DLE could top one of the major streaming charts with its fourth EP, "I burn," fronted by "Hwaa." The song's music video chalked up more than six million views on YouTube as of Tuesday.

(G)I-DLE is a multinational group with members Miyeon, Soojin and Soyeon coming from Korea, Minnie from Thailand, Yuqi from China and Shuhua from Taiwan.

It used two different Chinese characters to describe "Hwaa," with one meaning fire and the other a flower. Both characters are pronounced the same, but have different tones when spoken in Mandarin. Composed by Soyeon and songwriter Pop Time, the moombahton song portrays the painful memories of love and features an addictive hook and traditional sounds.

"In the song, fire is a medium to melt a frozen heart that has been hurt by love. After it melts, a flower will bloom and signal the beginning of a new relationship," Soyeon said. "Overall, our new album centers on different feelings that arise after a breakup. We are a multinational group, but all our members do share universal feelings that we can deliver to our audiences."

The album also offers five other numbers: "Grudge," "Moon," "Where is love," "Lost" and "Dahlia." Among them, "Grudge" is an extension of the band's 2018 track, "Hann (Alone)," and is also related to "Hwaa," which describes the loneliness that a jilted lover feels in the cold winter following a breakup.

Member Minnie participated in making the song "Moon," while Soyeon wrote the lyrics.

"When the moon is bright, you cannot hide yourself in the darkness ― the song is about honest emotions that you cannot normally show others," she said.

Minnie also took part in the creative process of "Dahlia."

"'Dahlia' is a flower representing romantic attraction and desire. I tried to depict it as beautifully as I could," she said. "I am so delighted to have numbers that I wrote included in our album. I will strive to do more, so please look forward to it."

Yuqi also pitched in to compose the R&B track "Lost." Yuqi, who wrote the lyrics, said she attempted to describe the complex feelings following a breakup.

"Through this piece, I want to prove that I can make my own songs, too," she said.

The girl band also voiced its hopes for this year.

"This year, we want to be near our fans," Soyeon said. "Our world tour was called off last year (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), so we want to embark on it in 2021."

"I want to hear our fans scream," Shuhua said.

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