Graphics by Gibrianne Derequito
A little birdie told me that the G in (G)I-DLE might mean GENIUS.
On May 10, 2023, the 4th generation K-Pop girl group (G)I-DLE released a music video for their song “Allergy”, a pre-release track from their mini album “I Feel”. It immediately circulated on social media platforms due to its catchy beat, resembling theme songs from coming-of-age movies in the early 2000s.
Their leader, Soyeon, has written and produced most of their songs with the help of Minnie and Yuqi. They’re known for their well-thought-out and relevant concepts; one concept worth mentioning is their last album, “I Love”, with the title track “Nxde.” Their group name translates to “young girls” in Korean, and when searched with the title track, it cleverly floods the search results, preventing illegal pornography.
The song “Allergy” talks about how some people dislike what they see in front of a mirror. The lyrics spoke to a lot of people. Both fans and non-fans praised the girls for their relatable song. Fans speculated if Soyeon wrote the song based on her own story. In an interview a few years back, Soyeon talked about how her physical appearance does not align with Korean beauty standards, and as a result, she gets hated for it.
Korean beauty standards, or beauty standards, in general, are undeniably very harsh. A lot of people go through cosmetic surgeries to achieve their desired appearance and fit into society’s ideal definition of beauty. “Allergy” is a great song for conveying what goes inside a person’s mind when their definition of beauty has been greatly influenced by an ideology that they can’t even look at their reflection with genuine love and appreciation.
It’s the 21st century, and beauty standards should not be a thing anymore! “Please give me your like button. Because I wanna be loved.” No one should ask to be loved, so let’s cure our mirror allergies together.
Everyone can be beautiful regardless of physical appearance, and we should all receive equal value and respect. (G)I-DLE and many other artists today are fragmenting and smashing beauty standards altogether, and we are here for it.
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