On the episode of KBS2’s music talk show The Seasons – Park Bo Gum’s Cantabile, aired on May 23, the “No Brake, Keep Going” segment featured performances by I-DLE, Daybreak, Baekhyun, and Sanmanhan. Host Park Bo-gum asked I-DLE, “We first met two years ago at the Music Bank World Tour, do you remember?” The members recalled, “Didn’t we perform together back then?”
Park Bo-gum confirmed, “Yes, we performed ‘Remember Me.’ I played the piano while you sang. We didn’t have time to rehearse, but I was completely charmed listening to Minnie’s voice through the in-ear monitor.” Minnie responded, “You’ve been releasing a lot of OSTs,” to which Park Bo-gum shyly replied, “Yes, I recently released one too. I’ve been steadily putting out OSTs.” He then recommended, “There’s a song I’d like to suggest called ‘Timing.’ If you listen to ‘Timing’ at the right moment, it might make today’s Cantabile recording even more enjoyable.”
Park Bo-gum’s keen memory also stood out. When he recalled, “I think it was Minnie’s birthday back then,” Minnie was surprised, saying, “How do you remember that? I’m so honored.” Park Bo-gum playfully responded, “I’m known for being meticulous.”
He then asked about the significance of the group’s latest album, particularly why they changed their name from (G)I-DLE to I-DLE. Soyeon explained, “When we were preparing for our debut, we thought our name was I-DLE. But when we debuted, articles referred to us as (G)I-DLE. We’ve always been I-DLE to ourselves, and we always said we’d change it to I-DLE once we became well-known. However, changing everything, including websites, wasn’t easy. After seven years, we’ve finally officially changed it to I-DLE.”
Soyeon also highlighted that all members participated as producers for the new album. She said, “Since our debut, I’ve been writing and composing title tracks, and our team is full of producers. This time, for the first time, every member contributed to producing the album.”
The name change from (G)I-DLE to I-DLE is significant in K-pop, where branding is crucial. It reflects the group’s desire to redefine their identity, moving away from the gendered prefix “(여자)” (meaning “girl” in Korean) to a more universal “I-DLE.” This aligns with their boundary-pushing image and appeals to global fans who associate them with empowerment and creativity.
