I-dle (formerly (G)I-dle) is a South Korean girl group formed by Cube Entertainment in 2018. The group consists of five members: Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua, after member Soojin left in August 2021. They are known for their musicality and versatility, and for breaking stereotypes as a self-producing idol group that writes and produces much of its own material. Since debuting, they have been described as one of the most successful South Korean girl groups outside the big four record labels.
Breakthrough and albums
The group debuted in May 2018 with the extended play I Am and its lead single Latata. Their rise to prominence came with Tomboy, the lead single of their first studio album I Never Die (2022), which was a critical and commercial success and reached number one on the Circle Digital Chart. Their later single Nxde also topped the chart, and the group released further EPs and a second studio album in 2024 that sold over one million copies in South Korea.
Name change
The name Idle came from group leader Soyeon while she was composing her digital single Idle Song. Because aideul means children and idle in English refers to avoiding work, the name drew mixed reactions, so the group was renamed (G)I-dle. After returning as a quintet, they asked to be called I-dle verbally, and the name was officially changed to I-dle in May 2025.
