(G)I-DLE Rebrands to ‘i-dle’ Ahead of Dual Comebacks in May

After seven years as (G)I-DLE, the group has officially rebranded to i-dle to embark on a bold new journey. 

The group adopted their new identity after renewing with CUBE Entertainment, with these releases being their first post-renewal comeback. The removal of the ‘(G)’ from (G)-IDLE signals a meaningful shift for the group as they enter this new chapter.

Fans were quick to notice the symbolic shift, as the group’s teasers and social media handles quietly removed the ‘(G)’ prefix. The change comes alongside a thrilling double comeback announcement, a special mini-album dropping on May 2, followed by their 8th mini-album on May 19.  

On May 1, i-dle (Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi, and Shuhua) made a big announcement through their official social media. They’re officially dropping the “(G)” from their name to become i-dle. 

This change comes just as the group celebrates their 7th anniversary since debuting on May 2, 2018. After seven years, they are starting fresh with a simpler name that feels more true to who they are. The move means saying goodbye to the “G” that used to be part of their identity. 

The group has made a powerful statement by completely shedding gender markers from their identity. Gone are the “(G)” and Korean “여자” (meaning “female”) that once defined them, along with the parentheses that set these terms apart. This clean slate allows them to create without any preconceived boundaries – their music and concepts can now evolve completely free from gender expectations.  

Their sleek new logo spells out “idle” in playful lowercase letters, with the ‘e’ curling into a perfect circle. The clever design of i-dle’s new logo tells its own story – five individual “i” letters coming together to form a single star. It’s a beautiful representation of how Minnie, Miyeon, Soyeon, Yuqi, and Shuhua each bring their unique colors to create something special together.  

This rebrand goes much deeper than just updating their name. After all five members renewed their contracts with Cube Entertainment last December, they are not just continuing as a group – they are leveling up. By stripping away the “(G)” and gender markers, they have removed all limitations on their creativity.  

Since their debut, i-dle has released multiple hit songs, including “Latata,” “Oh My God,” “Dumdi Dumdi,” “Hwa,” “Tomboy,” “Nxde,” and “Queencard.” These tracks have consistently performed well on music charts.  

In 2024, the group achieved significant success with their second full album “2.” The title track “Super Lady” reached number one on domestic and international charts, while the b-side “Fate” gained unexpected popularity. Their 7th mini album “I SWAY” and its title track “Klaxon” also performed strongly during the summer season.  

In addition, i-dle completed their third world tour, performing in 14 cities worldwide. They received two major awards at the 2024 Korea Grand Music Awards (KGMA) and Melon Music Awards (MMA). 

Meanwhile, i-dle to release a special mini-album today at 6 pm KST followed by an 8th mini-album on May 19 under the new identity.