I Love (EP) explained

I Love (stylized in sentence case) is the fifth Korean extended play (seventh overall) by South Korean girl group (G)I-dle. It was released digitally on October 17, 2022, and physically on October 18, 2022, by Cube Entertainment. It consists of three physical versions: Born, Act, and X-file. The EP contains six tracks, including the lead single "Nxde". The EP discusses various kinds of love and emotions of a person who is looking for real love – ultimately loving themselves. The tracks in the EP are listed in reverse as it narrates the process of love, starting with track 6 of someone experiencing love for the first time to track 1 of loving themselves. The EP took the form of vintage Hollywood-inspired concept.

The group retains its reputation as a "self-made" idol group by having three members participate in the lyrics and composition and arrangement of all six tracks. Leader Soyeon composed and arranged the title track and heavily participated in the writing process of every song on the project. Meanwhile, Minnie and Yuqi composed four of the tracks on I Love, with Minnie having writing credits for two of them. The EP also keeps the group's consistency with the 'I' theme, following I Never Die (2022). Commercially, the album debuted at number one on the Circle Chart with over 500,000 copies.

Name

The album's title, I Love has no object to the sentence of the album name. The group explained that they want to respect all types of love and leave it to each listener to substitute with their own form of love – "can be family, friend, hobby, lover, dream, or one of the many kinds of love out there".^{[1] [2] [3]} I Love also has meanings of embodies the audacious aspiration that "'I' deserve to stay to 'myself' instead of being what others want me to be and that I hope to throw away the show which I don't want, and instead present the genuine, true self."^[4]

Background and release

The concept for I Love was first mentioned by Soyeon on an episode of I Live Alone that aired on May 13, 2022.^[5] The program showed Soyeon assemble Cube staff meeting for their group (G)I-dle's next album where she introduced the new album presentation material she prepared herself using the Microsoft PowerPoint.^[6] She quoted Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, "I’d rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not."^[7]

Notes and References

1. G_I_DLE . 1577312593013723137 . [] (G)I-DLE 5th Mini Album [I love] Track List ❤. October 4, 2022 . October 19, 2022.
2. Web site: Baek. Ji-eun. https://sports.chosun.com/news/ntype.htm?id=202210170100109140006955&servicedate=20221017. ko:[SC현장] "올해는 우리의 해"…(여자)아이들, 편견 깰 '누드'로 빌보드 1위 정조준(종합). [SC on-site] "This year is our year"... (G)I-DLE, #1 on Billboard with 'Nude' to break prejudice (Comprehensive). Sports Chosun. October 17, 2022. October 18, 2022.
3. Web site: Aimee. Noac. (G)I-DLE releases 5th mini album 'I love,' music video for 'Nxde'. GMA Network. October 17, 2022. October 20, 2022.
4. Web site: (G)IDLE - I love album information. Cube Entertainment. cubeent.co.kr. October 17, 2022. October 19, 2022.
5. Web site: Ahn. Byung-gil. https://sports.khan.co.kr/entertainment/sk_index.html?art_id=202205140937003&sec_id=540201&pt=nv. ko:[종합]‘나혼산’ 전소연, 멍소연↔만능돌 대반전 최고의 1분. [Comprehensive] 'Nahonsan' Jeon So-yeon, Meng So-yeon ↔ All-around Idol Greatest Reversal 1 minute. Sports Kyunghyang. May 14, 2022. October 6, 2022.
6. Web site: Lee. Ha-na. https://www.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=202205132032322510. ko:[종합]‘나혼산’ 전소연, 멍소연↔만능돌 대반전 최고의 1분. (G)I-DLE Soyeon “Album name → music video and nail design plan” Heavenly Artist (Nahonsan). Newsen. May 14, 2022. October 6, 2022.
7. Web site: Shriya. Swami. (G)I-DLE'S NXDE COMEBACK – FROM CHANNELING MARILYN MONROE TO BANKSY INSPIRATION. HITC. www.hitc.com. October 18, 2022. October 20, 2022.