Jeon Soyeon Impresses With New Mini Album ‘Windy’

Girl group (G)I-DLE’s leader Jeon Soyeon has gone rogue to write, produce, and sing a total of five tracks on her first mini-album Windy. (G)I-DLE has experimented with various concepts, all of which helped Soyeon pull off a new bright and refreshing look in the “BEAM BEAM” music video, the EP’s main promotional track. It was only a matter of time before Soyeon would come out with her own album after writing and producing a majority of the songs for her girl group, including the widely popular “Oh my god.”

Jeon Soyeon is the leader of the fourth generation K-pop group (G)I-DLE that debuted in 2018 with the hit song “Latata” under Cube Entertainment. At the time, Cube Entertainment also managed other stars such as the soloist Hyuna and groups CLC and Pentagon. The other members of (G)I-DLE include Minnie, Miyeon, Yuqi, Shuhua, and Soojin. In addition to being a leader, Soyeon is also known as a “triple threat” with amazing rapping, dancing, and singing capabilities. She has taken on extra projects such as the K/DA collaboration for their song “Pop/Stars” with Madison Beer, Jairia Burns, and fellow member Miyeon. Earlier in 2018, she was also part of the girl group project Station Young for SM Station‘s X 0 with Red Velvet’s Seulgi, GFriend’s SinB, and soloist Kim Chung Ha. All of the members are main or lead dancers in their respective groups and completely stunned audiences in their only song, “Wow Thing.”

Windy’s title track has an energetic melody with underlying R&B-inspired tones that suit Soyeon’s more nasal, high-pitched voice. Her voice is seen as a weapon in the K-pop industry that sounds so unique and is filled with such control that it stands out among many other female rappers. “BEAM BEAM” has a sound that is more complicated and less identifiable than the rest. Unlike other summer-themed songs, it is not in that it doesn’t share the summer vibe, but that it is more rock and hip-hop-influenced than well-known summer K-pop songs like Rollin’ by Brave Girls or Alcohol-Free by Twice. Although it strikes a distant resemblance in sound to (G)I-DLE’s previous comeback “Uh-Oh,” what is even more interesting is the meaning of Soyeon’s lyrics. Korean news site XportsNews commented on the composition of the tracks stating, “The released tracklist for ‘Windy’ … contains a total of 5 songs, capturing Jeon So-yeon’s unique musical color and sensibility. In particular, Jeon So-yeon’s name was added to the lyrics and composition of all songs, including the title song, and it is expected to show a broader range of musical capabilities as an ‘artist.’” Specifically, “BEAM BEAM” was described as “a hot and strong taste that reminds of summer.”

Soyeon’s creative take on the song “BEAM BEAM” is just a soft introduction to her abilities as a songwriter. It vividly describes the process of growing up from a teenager to an adult. It’s her welcome to the mini-album filling to the brim with angst and confusion. Every track, specifically this one, is filled with a strange bittersweet nostalgia. She acknowledges that growing up gives you experience and makes you wiser; you are still abandoning the carefree and innocent days of the past. As you grow up, your life is more complicated and filled with more problems. You are in a constant struggle with love and with others. She talks about personal experience as a soon-to-be twenty-three-year-old with the lyrics, “It’s been a while since I’ve been so red with love. I’m twenty-four; what I realized now is that, love is f****d… Oh, alright, adult world. I vomit you with this alcohol.”

Progressing through the EP, fans are sure to stumble on the electro-pop-swing track “Weather,” which incorporates a groovier beat with Soyeon’s vocals. The way her voice drags on adds emphasis to the melody, which really draws on the music rather than her vocals. It is a more simplistic but equally catchy song like “BEAM BEAM” with a contrasting musical style. Soyeon’s songwriting extends far beyond one genre, but all suit her personal style perfectly. The song’s lyrics are less personal but tie directly to the mini-album’s title, “Windy.” Instead of taking mementos from her own life, she reflects on the feeling of being “down in the dumps” as the weather is a symbol of one’s mood. Sometimes it could be sunny, meaning that one is bright and happy. On other days, the weather may be thundering. This rapid change in weather is similar to a person’s mood swings which is why Soyeon asks, “How was your weather?” in the lyrics of this track. Soyeon also sings, “Cloudy Some dark clouds outside the window have lost their taste. Feeling fresh throughout lunch. Why is it on an empty stomach? It’s down because of the weather. I have to hover more in the manic-depressed sky.” “Weather” tries to comfort those whose “weather” tends to be cloudier, duller, and more closed-off than others. Soyeon offers a few words of wisdom before the song comes to a close, singing, “Don’t come, don’t come anymore (don’t come). Summer, don’t cry now (don’t cry). It’s time to pass (It’s okay).” 

i love the set and ofc soyeon will always let everyone know her mic is onpic.twitter.com/2gTXfLNBtE

— ً (@seojei) July 8, 2021

Every album must have a catchy nostalgic track that fits like a puzzle piece among the rest of the songs. In Windy, this song is “Quit.” There is a memorable xylophone-sounding beat slowly leading listeners on in the background. Soyeon weaved through the melody with her voice, giving us an exciting build-up to the chorus. “Quit” has a pre-chorus, unlike the other songs in the mini-album. It feels like a gust of fresh air or how we would all swing as high as we could on the swing sets in our youth. The song incites thrill, and that is what keeps listeners tuning in for more. Soyeon used the music to pull the listeners back into their childhood. Ironic for an album dedicated to the emotions one feels as one grows up.  

Unlike the melody for “Quit,” the lyrics cover a more serious topic. So far, the songs have been about maturity and wisdom on the wider world as we go from rebellious teenagers to young adults—with more or less the same attitude. However, love is still the one emotion that new adults have a difficult time grappling with. During their youth, the relationship one was in during their youth is sure to break off as the individuals go separate ways. Soyeon’s lyrics address the problems when keeping a relationship alive from one’s childhood by singing, “Don’t drag it now, cut it off, this kind of love… That’s right, the first fluttering in the stomach was so sweet. As a kid, you always kept looking for something sweet. Our love is all rotten.” Soyeon feels as though these relationships become long and burdensome. Similar to Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour in a way, both “Quit” and “Psycho” reveal different ways of dealing with a broken relationship. Soyeon tries her best to end things without hurting the other in “Quit” as she says, “It’s obvious, I won’t be deceived anymore. You don’t deserve to hold on to this relationship. It’s funny you think that I changed. ‘Cause I was crazy for you like a fool,” to, “Thank you for crying, even if it’s the end. Now write songs for me, whatever. This breakup must hurt you too. Say goodbye, love. Yes, I will quit.” In this song, Soyeon breaks up with her lover. Unable to deal with the emotions that come with a deteriorating relationship, she chooses to abandon the other. Unsurprisingly, Soyeon doesn’t last long before feeling vengeful to get back at her ex in “Psycho.” 

[📽] Where is my skateboard? (Feat. Lion) #전소연 #JEON_SOYEON #Windy #삠삠 #BEAMBEAM

▶️ https://t.co/FwrD5BYo1e pic.twitter.com/sXuVMrFGcQ

— (G)I-DLE·(여자)아이들 (@G_I_DLE) July 8, 2021

“Psycho” is the shortest of the bunch but is the only one with a darker melody. Again, Soyeon comes in to swoop listeners off their feet with a menacing but intriguing tune. It begins with a soft piano intro before leading with her sharp voice. The beat becomes slower as the pre-chorus approaches. Although “Psycho” does not have an energetic build-up, the chorus makes up for everything with its addicting sound. Its lyrics also perfectly display the attitude of a “psycho” after a breakup. Both “Quit” and “Psycho” work in harmony as one is the physical breakup, and the other is Soyeon’s reaction to her past lover. She sings, “I know it’s your birthday. So I prepared a present… I’m gonna crash into your new black car on purpose. And sit in her place when she comes out of the car, surprised.” To further her insane attitude, she continues to say, “Did you get what kind of b*tch I am? […] I don’t know who’s real me out of boundless common sense. Locked away my other half. Maybe I’m psycho.” She closes the song on a mysterious note but locks listeners in an endless cycle of streaming. Before fans get the last taste of Soyeon’s rollercoaster of a mini-album, her final track, “Is this bad b****** number?” brings in fellow Korean rappers Bibi and Lee Young Ji to help.

Soyeon brilliantly put the most energetic song at the end of the tracklist to show audiences that she is strongly tied to her identity as a powerful rapper. In this track, however, she is accompanied by BIBI and Lee Young Ji. Lee Young Ji is more into the K-Hip-Hop scene and has been featured on several tracks with other famous Korean artists such as Babylon and Queen WA$ABII. This opportunity with Soyeon was able to showcase her insane rapping abilities at just eighteen years old. On the other hand, BIBI has multiple famous songs of her own, like KAZINO, which has almost fourteen million streams on Spotify. Her typical genre of music is K-R&B which includes many groovy beats and rap sections that she excels at in her own music. It was no surprise that she was a pleasant addition to “Is this bad b****** number?” with Soyeon and Lee Young Ji. BIBI is, in fact, a singer-songwriter herself whose style clashes perfectly with Soyeon’s.

This song acts as the last stage of the breakup process where Soyeon learns to accept herself. The lyrics emit confidence, flair, and attitude to those who have wronged her in the past. Soyeon’s fellow rappers each add their own technique, which brings out the bold tone written in the lyrics. Soyeon starts off the song with its chorus before Young Ji starts the first verse. She raps, “I ain’t give a damn about you. I can swallow all this jealousy of the blind. I simply block your business; it’s not even worth it. ‘Cause I’m too nasty for y’all, you got this?” Her rapping technique perfectly emphasizes the words she wants listeners to hear with her skillfully deep, raspy voice. After the second chorus, BIBI continues the narrative by saying, “I’ll give you some advice that it won’t be good. If you wanna ask me to add you to the list. Marry, kill, f*ck don’t get confused.” Unlike typical K-pop songs, singers refrain from adding curse words into their lyrics. Soyeon disregards this unspoken rule and does so anyway, expressing that her music is free from K-pop’s constraints on artistic expression. Lastly, Soyeon finishes with her own verse and raps, “Oh, I called right in front of you. Money overflowing with this f***ing song… No entry except for invited Bibi and Youngji Generation Z bad bish.” At the end of the day, Soyeon learns her worth. She learns to move and grow up, which is what Windy is truly about.

Soyeon’s solo career is far from over. She is an astounding performer who has already made appearances on Mnet and 1theK. Not only has she performed the title track “BEAM BEAM,” but she has also collaborated on a stage for “Is this bad b****** number?” with Young Ji and BIBI. “Weather” also had its time in the spotlight when she performed this b-side on both Vogue Korea and Naver Now. Keep up with Soyeon’s promotions on her Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube accounts, where new content is constantly being released.