[Album Review] 2 (2nd Studio Album) – (G)I-DLE

As flagged last week, I have been gearing up to review (G)I-DLE’s second studio-length album, 2. A classic sign of that is when I review side tracks that got the music video treatment in close proximity to one another. In the case of 2, the two sides tracks that I reviewed in close proximity was the pre-single Wife and Revenge (a side track that (G)I-DLE released a music video post-release of the album). Sitting in between the two releases (in terms of chronology) is the title track Super Lady. The album also features another 5 songs (making it 8 songs in length), including the hit single Fate (which the group ended up promoting after it got popular in March – two months after the release of 2).

As you can see, this album is full of bold tracks from (G)I-DLE, which shows off their artistry and continues to show their ability to take on multiple music styles. I do also like how they continue their confident and powerful messaging in this album. This theme that is very consistent across their recent releases, such as in their previous Korean album release was last year’s I FEEL (which features the single Queencard).

1. Super Lady (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for Super Lady. (8.5/10)

2. Revenge – Click here for the full review for Revenge. (8/10)

3. Doll – Doll continues the darker vibes that we heard in Revenge. While it is a good song with a further touch of grunginess in the chorus and a classic creepy feel to the verses, I am not exactly thrilled by it. The vocals were more typical. They did have a powerful aura to them. But I wished there are more melodies in Doll song, rather than the spoken motif that was consistently present throughout the track. The song also ends with the typical “La La La”, which was also how Revenge (i.e., previous song) ended. (7/10)

4. Vision – The consistent beat to Vision makes this song very addictive and cool. I liked how the elements of the song are backed up and how it gave Vision a lot of definition. The beats are backed up with some strong bass, while the vocals (during the choruses) are backed up with this low and subtle spoken utterance of the lyrics. The more upfront vocal work was very fluid, while the rapping is one of the best examples on the album. Altogether, a very alluring track that really stuck out at me when the album was first released and remained as one of my favourites ever since. (10/10)

5. 7Days – 7Days is a soft drum and bass track, which I found to be quite soothing and calming to listen to. Compared to the bolder sounds on the album, 7Days is easily forgotten. But when you return to listen to the album in full, its lighter presence does provide relief from everything else on 2. The softer instrumentation helps makes the song soothing and calming, but the members’ softer vocals also play a big part in this. They sound so light and delicate throughout the track, while the melodies sound very comforting and wispy. (8/10)

6. Fate (나는 아픈 건 딱 질색이니까) – Interestingly, Fate ends up being one of the bigger songs on the album alongside the title track, rising to prominence after a performance on Lee Hyori’s Red Carpet and through its It’s Live YouTube video. Fate itself ended up winning a triple crown on the weekly Korean music show Inkigayo and rose to the top of the Circle Charts in Korea (something the title track didn’t achieve). Fate is a funky pop-punk track that had reminded people (including myself) of the 00s era of JPOP. I quite liked the vocals in this track, which came off as very refreshing and vibrant to listen to. Vibrant is also how I would describe the instrumentation in Fate. We also get some interesting vocal colours from the members throughout the track, with a cutesy flair coming to my mind from all members. Some members, like SOYEON, gave Fate an interesting zing with their vocals. Overall (and just like everyone else), I was definitely captivated by the unsuspecting Fate. (10/10)

7. Rollie – Leading us towards the end of the album is Rollie. There is a fair bit to like in Rollie, such as the flow of the song to the trap beats to the husky vocals to the simple hooks that are quite addictive. I would have liked the producing team (which includes YUQI) to turn the dial up a notch to bring up the heat and make the song feel wow. Rollie just feels a little simple in its current form. I think the song demands a bolder feel, particularly for its self-confidence message, and the mature tone that comes off Rollie. It is still a great song as it is. (8/10)