K-pop group i-dle turns up summer heat with 9th EP 'We made'

K-pop girl group i-dle performs during a press event held to commemorate its ninth EP release at Yes24 Live Hall in Seoul's Gwangjin District, Monday. Yonhap

K-pop girl group i-dle returned Monday with its ninth EP, "We made," serving up a sultry summer night through Latin-inflected title track "Gimme Dat Love."

"We made" marks the group's first release in six months, following January's digital single "Mono (feat. skaiwater)." Hours ahead of the album's release, members Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua met with the press at Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, to share stories behind the album and their thoughts on the comeback.

"It doesn't feel real that we're already releasing our ninth EP," Miyeon said. "We've come back with another song that suits summer, but this one fights heat with some more heat. We prepared it with everything we've got, so please give us lots of love and support."

According to the members, "We made" carries a pop appeal distinct from the music i-dle has presented so far. The album captures the group's expanded present, some seven years of evolution since its second EP, "I made," released in 2019.

From left, K-pop girl group i-dle members Minnie, Miyeon, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua pose during a press event for the group's ninth EP "We made" release at Yes24 Live Hall in Seoul's Gwangjin District, Monday. Yonhap

"'We made' continues the 'We' series that began with 'We are' after our rebranding, following the 'I' series from our early days," Soyeon said. "It's an album where we tried to take on a new challenge, something different from the 'I' series."

The leader added that the group's ninth year prompted deeper questions.

"While making this album, we kept asking what makes good music," she said. "Is it mass appeal? Is it catchiness and trendiness? Or is it music that tells our story, even if it's a little boring? In the end, we concluded that a good song is one which the listener decides is good, a song that stirs different thoughts and emotions in each person. That's the album we made."

The new title track "Gimme Dat Love" portrays an intense thirst for summer love. Producers making waves in the Latin pop scene joined the track, including Daramola, who has worked with popstars Becky G and Jason Derulo, and Samantha Camara, a frequent collaborator of global artists such as Kenia OS and Nicky Jam.

K-pop girl group i-dle performs during a press event held to commemorate its ninth EP release at Yes24 Live Hall in Seoul's Gwangjin District, Monday. Yonhap

"Over the years, we've released summer songs like 'DUMDi DUMDi,' 'Klaxon' and 'Hann,'" Soyeon said of the title track. "We wanted to show different colors within the same season, and that's how this song came about."

Alongside the title track, the EP features "Mono (feat. skaiwater)," prerelease track "Crow," the upbeat everyday anthem "Morning" and "Love Is Pain," a song written by Yuqi that spotlights the members' vocal prowess. A "mono version" of "Mono (feat. skaiwater)" is included as a CD-only track.

The comeback follows the group's successful "2026 i-dle World Tour 'Syncopation,'" which kicked off in February at KSPO Dome in Seoul. The group also became the first K-pop girl group to perform at Taipei Dome and drew a combined crowd of nearly 80,000 over two nights at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong in June.

"Touring the world as a singer is a difficult thing and something to be grateful for," Yuqi said. "In Hong Kong especially, so many fans came that it didn't feel real ... Watching them sing along in Korean, I felt the power of music and thought we should work even harder."

From left, Minnie, Shuhua and Soyeon of K-pop girl group i-dle perform during a media showcase held to commemorate the band's ninth EP release at Yes24 Live Hall in Seoul's Gwangjin District, Monday. Yonhap

Next up, i-dle will take the stage at Lollapalooza Chicago, the annual summer festival held at Grant Park, on July 31 (local time).

"It's a joy and an honor to join such a huge, famous festival," Minnie said with a laugh. "We received so much energy and support from fans throughout the world tour, and we'll channel that into a powerful performance. We're going to tear that stage up."

Asked about the group's ambitions, Soyeon signaled a shift in mindset.

"I always thought we had to do better, climb higher, take the next step," she said. "But starting this year, I've decided to enjoy and focus on the moment. Once we wrap up these promotions, I want to start thinking about our next music."