International netizens have come together to defend (G)I-DLE from criticism of their latest song.
The members of (G)I-DLE | @G_I_DLE/Twitter
Over the years, the group has released stunning songs, breaking stereotypes and using their lyrics to send important messages through music.
Ahead of their album’s release, (G)I-DLE released the video for their song “Wife.” The video was bright and unserious, the lyrics were bold, and it was everything fans loved about the group.
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While Korean netizens had their own concerns about the lyrics, international fans criticized Soyeon‘s English lyrics, claiming they were once again nonsense and didn’t make any sense. Others thought the video looked cheap and that it just didn’t live up to the standards set in the industry.
you guys give celebrities so much credit like they actually think it through so deeply as if most of the time they don’t come out and say how they never thought of that but it’s nice that people took that meaning https://t.co/SHDxBXmrCs
— ︎ (@jaangguks) January 21, 2024
if you keep defending your group by saying “the song is just unserious and silly” every time they have a comeback then idk what to tell you https://t.co/871IKXizcP
— ً (@aeespa) January 21, 2024
Yet, for the majority of international fans, they were obsessed with everything about the song.
In particular, some fans pointed out how the concept seemed to match that of well-loved second-generation songs, combining a weird concept and bright colors, and while many criticized it, it was exactly what netizens needed.
u guys don’t understand. the fits, the $5 budget mv, the terrible choreography, the nonsensical lyrics with random foreign words the 2nd gen stan in me is so happy rn https://t.co/Myo5oHG9bL
— untitled is a clown (@unseriousstan) January 21, 2024
Gidle are so funny, because you have these other ggs doing super serious concepts and here comes Yeoja Aideul making fun of men who want a ‘traditional wife’ while dressed as something out of charlie and the chocolate factory
— soyeon planted the seed of evil that caused (@urghhhkpop) January 21, 2024
the people ask gidle deliver pic.twitter.com/8iS7hn99jN https://t.co/TxC0XoipSq
— b² (@soojcard) January 21, 2024
Along with praise for bringing back such a unique concept that fans haven’t seen for a long time, fans specifically hit back at those criticizing the lyrics.
Many international fans wanted to emphasize the importance of the lyrics and how they fit with the video. The song looks at the expectations of gender roles and, by having the same outfit and styling, the way many men look at women.
Small thread on how gidle’s wife is satirizing trad wife expectations and gender roles
— spoopy (@snapsh_ot) January 21, 2024
singing abt societal expectations on women as wives? with identical wigs and clothes as if theyre all the same to everyone’s eyes? i need lyric translations NEOW
— m² (@98ssjins) January 21, 2024
i just love these girls, who else would dare to mock this view of the traditional wife in a country filled up with misogynistic men and still manage to make a catchy song? only gidle https://t.co/Vd8E1Caze9
— gabriela² (@gidlephrenia) January 21, 2024
Major message from WIFE MV
“Traditional women are only good at cooking and cleaning. They look and do the same and are expected not to talk back”
This, GIDLE wear same clothes and wear emphasize about cooking and cleaning and didn’t sing in MV
— R (@aydoll_) January 21, 2024
When it came to the criticism of Soyeon’s English lyrics, many shared that the way she wrote the lyrics fit in not only with the message of the song but also with the tempo of the music.
One OP hit back, saying that the lyrics were always catchy, and considering it’s K-Pop, not all the English lines are going to make perfect grammatical sense.
I am SOO sick of people saying a song is bad because English lyrics aren’t PhD level proper grammar
byu/hattokatto12 inkpoprants
Just a reminder that Soyeon is Korean, she was born and raised there. She has felt the hardships of being a girl and a woman in that country. She can do English and she can write for all of us but the change she is igniting in her own country is what she has been aiming for.
— spring uwu (@dreamyminnielix) January 21, 2024
In particular, one fan joked that their only complaint was that the song was too short…
(G)I-DLE’s Wife proves EXACTLY why I hate their short song trend – the song is SO good and I just wish it was longer and I could hear THEM more!
byu/niclaswwe inkpopthoughts
Others shared just how smart (G)I-DLE is, sharing small details from the song compared to the wider theme of the album and how everything they do has a meaning.
k nevies said if you invert WIFE color pallet you’ll get the color pallet of the whole album THIS IS CRAZY!!!
WIFE OUT NOW#GIDLE_Wife #WifeOutNow https://t.co/VUk9We86zU pic.twitter.com/5R1NL54eZq
— Vera𓄋 (@Vera_Ssj) January 21, 2024
now it makes so much sense why wife was in the trash bin and it’s because it doesn’t fit the overall concept of the album.
They did it on PURPOSE + picking this song as a pre-release is an smart idea to maintain the attention for the main track , oh gidle ur brain is immense pic.twitter.com/9bRdypw0ZA
— 2 (@minizues) January 21, 2024
(G)I-DLE has never been a group to stay within the “acceptable” boundaries of music, and it’s why they are always so successful. With so much innovation and thought put into each song and concept, fans are angry when netizens seemingly disregard the deeper message behind the songs just because of the group’s approach to their music.
You can read more about Korean criticism of the song below.
Are (G)I-DLE’s “Wife” Lyrics Controversial?— K-Netizens Respond
