''I Trust'' (stylized in
sentence case
Letter case is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowercase (or more formally ''minuscule'') in the written representation of certain languages. The writing ...
) is the third Korean
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. by South Korean girl group
(G)I-dle
(G)I-dle (), stylized in all caps, is a South Korean girl group formed by Cube Entertainment in 2018. The group consists of five members: Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua. Originally a sextet, Soojin left the lineup on August 14, 202 ...
. It was released digitally on April 6, 2020 and physically on April 7, 2020 by
Cube Entertainment
Cube Entertainment Inc. () is a South Korean entertainment company. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and music publishing house. Cube are known for h ...
. ''I Trust'' features 5 tracks including the pre-released single "
Lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...
" and the lead single "
Oh My God
Oh My God, O My God, Oh My God! or Ohmigod may refer to:
* the first words of the Act of Contrition, a Christian prayer
* a common phrase frequently abbreviated as "OMG", often used in SMS messages and Internet communication, and sometimes euphem ...
", which was produced and written by
Jeon Soyeon
Jeon So-yeon (; born August 26, 1998), known mononymously as Soyeon, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer signed to Cube Entertainment. She first gained attention for competing in the television shows ''Produce 101' ...
alongside
Big Sancho
Kim Tae-ho (Hangul: 김태호), professionally known as Big Sancho (Hangul: 빅싼초), is a South Korean songwriter, composer and music producer. He is part of the producing team Yummy Tone.
Songwriting and composing credits
Songwriting and c ...
.
The physical version is available in two versions: "True" and "Lie". ''I Trust'' is the followup to their second EP ''
I Made
''I Made'' (stylized in Letter case#Sentence case, sentence case) is the second extended play by South Korean girl group (G)I-dle. The album was released digitally and physically on February 26, 2019. The album contains five tracks including the ...
'', released in 2019.
The EP debuted atop the
Gaon Album Chart
The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Korea based on their Record sales, pure sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart, pr ...
and became (G)I-dle's best selling work since debut, selling 112,075 copies in its first week.
Background and release
On February 18, 2020, it was reported that (G)I-dle were set to comeback in mid-March ahead of their world tour
I-Land: Who Am I. It was also reported that the group were filming a music video on the same day. The release, however, was postponed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
On March 19, 2020, Cube Entertainment announced that (G)I-dle would be making a comeback with an extended play in early April. They had already completed their album jacket photoshoot, filming of the music video and were in the final stages of comeback preparations. Later the same month, Cube officially announced their comeback with the released artwork teaser image of the third mini-album ''I Trust'' through their official social network service. The teaser contains the album name and release date.
''I Trust'' is (G)I-dle's third 'I' series following ''
I Am
I Am or I'm may refer to:
Language and literature
* "I Am that I Am", a common English translation of the response God used in the Hebrew Bible when Moses asked for His name
** I am (biblical term), a Christian term used in the Bible
* "I Am" (po ...
'' and ''
I Made
''I Made'' (stylized in Letter case#Sentence case, sentence case) is the second extended play by South Korean girl group (G)I-dle. The album was released digitally and physically on February 26, 2019. The album contains five tracks including the ...
''. ''I Trust'' comes from setting the subject of belief as "myself". The theme of the album is 'I trust = I trust myself' and through this (G)I-dle showcases their own unique confidence. Soyeon revealed she got inspired by watching
isekai
is a Japanese genre of speculative fiction—both portal fantasy and science fiction are included. It includes novels, light novels, films, manga, anime and video games that revolve around a person or people who are transported to and have to ...
anime,
KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Legend of Crimson for the whole album concept.
Artwork and packaging
(G)I-dle released two album versions for ''I Trust'' containing different colour themes which conveys a "collision with reality—meeting halfway between their reality and what society expects from them". In a white-colour theme, Lie version represents how the group see themselves as innocence, pure and trust in oneself. The black-colour theme, True is to represent how the society views them "even though we try to stick to our original goals".
Music and composition
''I Trust'' is an album that contains the personalities of (G)I-dle starting with 'I' and 'Trust' derived from believing in one self. The opening track of the album, "Oh my god" is an urban
hip-hop track with a bold rhythm that changes with every development of the song, expressing the theme 'I can be confident just by believing in myself' while experiencing feelings of rejection and confusion.
"Luv U" is a
trap
A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research.
Trap or TRAP may also refer to:
Art and entertainment Films and television
* ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
song which combines heavy
808 bass, hard drum beats, and tongue-clicking sounds recorded by member Soyeon which creates a playful yet serious, bright but dark atmosphere.
The lyrics express a strong energy of love and revolve around a situation when you have to believe in yourself.
''Soulbeats'' called it "borderline industrial, with pops, clicks, riffs that read more like sounds than music, but composed so deftly that they form a clear melody and rhythm".
"Maybe" is a dream-like
dance-pop
Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
song that combines slow chord progression and minimalist electronic instrumentation, though the rubbery synths and staccato drums play against the scratched strings for a spectacular drop.
It represents the confusion one faces when coming to believe in themselves.
Promotion
On March 26, 2020, Cube Entertainment released a time table for (G)I-dle's third extended play through their official homepage and SNS, which shows the group's promotion schedule beginning March 27 until the release of their album on April 7. The following day, the first official concept trailer for the album was released. The trailer contains the whispering of someone but is difficult to interpret the meaning. On March 28, the first teaser photo was revealed, and followed with second teaser photo and concept video on March 29. On April 1, Cube launched the (G)I-dle's chic violet exclusive
emoji
An emoji ( ; plural emoji or emojis) is a pictogram, logogram, ideogram or smiley embedded in text and used in electronic messages and web pages. The primary function of emoji is to fill in emotional cues otherwise missing from typed conversat ...
for using hashtags #여자아이들, #GIDLE, #아이들_오마이갓, #GIDLE_OMG and #I_trust. These emojis will be effective until April 30, 2020. Subsequently, the group released individual and group jacket album photos. The photos feature the members wearing dark dresses with snake-shaped props and accessories, creating a mysterious and fascinating atmosphere for the True version on April 1, and wearing white dresses with light feathers and flowers to add a pure and light atmosphere for the Lie version on April 2.
The group held an online live media showcase before the song's digital release with
Jo Kwon
Jo Kwon ( born on August 28, 1989) is a South Korean singer, television host, actor, entertainer and the leader of South Korean boy band 2AM. He has starred in multiple musicals such as ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' playing the role of King Her ...
as the
MC.
(G)I-dle continue their promotion activities with follow-up song "Luv U" starting April 28, on
SBS MTV
SBS M is a South Korean pay television music channel owned by SBS Medianet, a division of SBS Media Holdings. It features South Korean pop artists, international music, news, and a few reality and variety programs.
It was launched in 2001 as t ...
The Show to repay the love sent from their fans for ''I Trust''. The promotions of the song ended on May 3.
Singles
"Lion" serves as the album's pre-release single. It was released alongside a music video on October 25, 2019. It peaked at number 5 on the World Digital Song Sales chart, earning (G)I-dle their fifth top 10 hit, while reaching the top twenty in South Korea.
(G)I-dle performed "Lion" for the first time in the ''Queendom'' final live broadcast on October 31, 2019.
"Oh my god" was released as the album's lead single on April 6, 2020, with the accompanying music video. In South Korea, the song debuted and peaked at number 15 on the
Gaon Digital Chart
The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based o ...
. Moreover, the song attained international success, peaking at number three on ''
Billboard's
''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...
'' World Digital Songs chart. "Oh My God" debuted in the charts of several countries, including Hungary, Thailand and Scotland. The song gave (G)I-dle four music show wins.
Critical reception
Writing for ''
IZM'', Kim Do-heon described the EP as "it avoids the trap of self-reproduction or boredom through various variations". He continued and praised Soyeon's designing the song by grasping the individuality and the breath of her team members.
Pop music critic Seo Jeong Min-gap included (G)I-dle's ''I Trust'' in the list of albums 'If You Don't Listen, You Will Regret It'. Lee Jeong-beom of ''XSports News'' included "Luv U" on his list of the "10 K-pop Girl groups' B-Sides that left an impression and helped improve the quality of my life this year". In his article, he wrote that the song expressed a cute side to a strong character and saying "it takes risks to show a side that is not customary for a certain field of creation." He concluded, "The song received high marks for expressing a character that was strong outside but soft inside through a fun, energetic and charming way."
Commercial performance
According to Hanteo, the album sold 91,311 physical copies on the first day of availability, becoming their fastest and best-selling album to date, demonstrating a growth rate of 495%, and the second-highest (behind
Iz*One
Iz*One ( ; ko, 아이즈원, Aijeuwon; ja, アイズワン, Aizuwan; stylized as IZ*ONE) was a South Korean–Japanese girl group formed through the Mnet reality competition show '' Produce 48''. The group was composed of twelve members: J ...
's ''
Bloom*Iz
''Bloom*Iz'' (stylized in all caps and pronounced "bloom eyes") is the first and only Korean-language studio album by South Korean–Japanese girl group Iz*One, a project group formed through the 2018 Mnet reality competition show ''Produce 48''. ...
'') first day sales by a girl group on Hanteo. In under three days of its release, the album recorded 100,000 physical copies sold, and later, it topped the album charts in 15 retail stores. ''I Trust'' debuted at number one on South Korea's
Gaon Album Chart
The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Korea based on their Record sales, pure sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart, pr ...
, becoming (G)-I-dle's first number one album in their home country. It is also their first album to have all tracks debut on the
Gaon Download Chart
The Circle Chart (), previously known as the Gaon Music Chart or the Gaon Chart (), tabulates the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in South Korea. It is produced by the Korea Music Content Association and sponsored by South Korea's ...
.
''I Trust'' debuted at number 7 on the
KKBOX
KKBox, stylized as KKBOX is a music streaming service developed in 2005 by KKBox Inc., a software company in Taipei, Taiwan. It is a part of Japanese Telecom Group, KDDI. The service mainly targets the music markets of East and Southeast Asia, fo ...
Hong Kong Korean Album Weekly Chart. Later, it peaked and charted at number 3 for week 16 and 18 of 2020.
It was reported that ''I Trust'' set the highest record for a South Korean girl group to topped
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
Top Albums chart in 62 countries worldwide.
The album also ranked first in the United States on iTunes Pop Album Chart, K-Pop Album Chart, and K-Pop Song Chart. The album scored their best one-week sales with 1,000 copies and a total of 2,000
album-equivalent unit
The album-equivalent unit, or album equivalent, is a measurement unit in music industry to define the consumption of music that equals the purchase of one album copy. This consumption includes streaming and song downloads in addition to traditi ...
s in the week ending April 9, debuting at number 4 on ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
s World Albums Chart.
On May 6, (G)I-dle debuted at
Rolling Stone's Top 25 Breakthrough chart as the only K-Pop group to chart for the month of April at the top 20 spot with a unit growth of 3.3 million and over 5.5 million total on demand audio streams in the U.S.
On July 13, it reported that ''I Trust'' rank in the Top 20 albums for Gaon's Mid Year Album Sale Chart, with 151,108 album sales. (G)I-dle remains one of two 2018 rookie female groups and only female artists to come from a "non big three" company in the top 20.
Track listing
Personnel
*
(G)I-dle
(G)I-dle (), stylized in all caps, is a South Korean girl group formed by Cube Entertainment in 2018. The group consists of five members: Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua. Originally a sextet, Soojin left the lineup on August 14, 202 ...
— vocals
**
soyeon — production,
lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment.
Royalties
A lyricist's income ...
,
composition
Composition or Compositions may refer to:
Arts and literature
*Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography
*Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include v ...
,
arrangement
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...
*
Big Sancho
Kim Tae-ho (Hangul: 김태호), professionally known as Big Sancho (Hangul: 빅싼초), is a South Korean songwriter, composer and music producer. He is part of the producing team Yummy Tone.
Songwriting and composing credits
Songwriting and c ...
— composition , arrangement
* Woomin Lee "collapsedone" — composition , arrangement
Additional personnel
*Simon Hong – production
*Lauren Kaori – English translation on "Oh My God" (English Ver.)
Accolades
Charts
Certifications and sales
Release history
See also
*
List of Gaon Album Chart number ones of 2020
The Gaon Album Chart is a South Korean record chart that ranks the best-selling albums and EPs in South Korea. It is part of the Gaon Music Chart, which launched in February 2010. The data is compiled by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism ...
*
List of K-pop albums on the Billboard charts
List of K-pop albums on the ''Billboard'' charts is a compilation of weekly chart information for K-pop music published by the ''Billboard'' charts, and reported on by ''Billboard K-Town'', an online ''Billboard'' column. This is a list of ...
References
External links
*
*
{{(G)I-DLE
2020 EPs
Cube Entertainment EPs
(G)I-dle EPs
Korean-language EPs
Universal Music Group EPs
Republic Records EPs
Albums produced by Jeon So-yeon