(G)I-DLE’s Minnie “First solo after contract renewal, the pressure is immense, but I feel satisfied”
On Jan 21st, Minnie will release her first mini-album “HER”. This album, her first solo effort in seven years, carries the message “I am my own muse” and includes seven tracks, including the title track “HER”. Minnie showcased her expanded musical prowess by participating in the writing and composition of all the tracks.
In a recent interview at Cube Entertainment‘s headquarters in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Minnie expressed her excitement about her solo debut, “I’m so excited and happy. It’s my first solo in seven years since my debut, and I’m curious about the fans’ reactions since they’ve waited so long. I’m truly grateful to them.”
She talked about fellow member Yuqi’s contribution to “Drive U Crazy”, describing it as a fun exchange after Minnie previously featured on Yuqi’s solo album track “Everytime”.
“Fans said the song I featured on Yuqi’s album felt like Minnie’s song, so I thought it would be fun if Yuqi featured on the track that felt the most like her on my album.”
Regarding the members’ reactions to her album, Minnie said, “I shared bits of the album with them. Soyeon loved ‘Valentine’s Dream’ the most. Miyeon was very excited and encouraged me to go with the song I was most confident about, which led me to choose ‘HER’. Yuqi and Shuhua were supportive as always, with Yuqi sending a coffee truck to the MV set and Shuhua bringing cake and visiting.”
Minnie reflected on the differences between preparing for solo activities versus group activities, “Without the members, it’s lonelier. While the staff helps a lot, I have to make all the decisions myself, so there’s more responsibility. I wanted to be involved in every aspect, which was challenging but rewarding.”
On the group’s contract renewal, announced during their acceptance speech at the 2024 Melon Music Awards, Minnie said, “We all wanted to keep making music we love in the best environment possible, so we decided to stay with Cube. We had many discussions and became even closer through this process.”
