Soyeon

Soyeon was born on August 26, 1998, in Seoul, South Korea. Although she is i-dle's leader, she is not the group's oldest member. Miyeon and Minnie are both older than her, making her leadership position a reflection of her musical experience and creative responsibilities rather than age.

• She originally trained in ballet before becoming interested in hip-hop. During elementary school, Soyeon participated in ballet competitions and developed a strong foundation in dance, giving her formal performance experience long before she became a rapper.

• BIGBANG played an important role in changing her career ambitions. After watching the group's performances, Soyeon became increasingly interested in pursuing popular music rather than continuing exclusively with classical dance.

• Soyeon reportedly auditioned for entertainment companies multiple times before joining Cube Entertainment. Her path into the industry was not immediate, and she had to continue developing her performance skills before securing a trainee position.

• She joined Cube Entertainment in 2014. The company later became home to both her solo career and i-dle, allowing her to develop as a performer and producer within the same agency.

• Soyeon competed on the first season of Produce 101 in 2016. The program brought together 101 female trainees competing for places in the temporary girl group I.O.I, giving Soyeon her first major exposure to television audiences.

• She finished Produce 101 in 20th place. Although she did not make the final 11-member lineup, her performances established her as a strong rapper and helped attract attention to her abilities.

• Soyeon received an A grade during her initial Produce 101 evaluation and maintained it after reevaluation. The result reflected the confidence judges had in her overall performance skills, even though she ultimately fell short of debuting through the competition.

• She competed on Unpretty Rapstar 3 shortly after Produce 101. The hip-hop competition gave her an opportunity to demonstrate her rapping abilities in a setting focused specifically on female rappers rather than idol-group formation.

• Her appearances on two different survival shows helped establish her reputation before she ever debuted. By the time Cube introduced her as a solo artist, many K-pop fans were already familiar with her name and distinctive rap delivery.

• Soyeon debuted as a solo artist before becoming a member of i-dle. Her first official single, "Jelly," was released on November 5, 2017, approximately six months before the group's debut.

• Her second solo single, "Idle Song," was released in February 2018. The title is particularly interesting because it arrived shortly before her debut with (G)I-DLE, although the song was part of her independent solo activities.

• Soyeon helped write and compose i-dle's debut song, "LATATA." That immediately distinguished the group from many rookie acts whose first releases are created almost entirely by outside producers.

• She became one of the main creative forces behind i-dle's musical identity. Rather than contributing only her own rap verses, Soyeon has been involved in developing melodies, lyrics, song structures and concepts for numerous group releases.

• Her songwriting spans considerably more than hip-hop. Across i-dle's discography, Soyeon has worked with electronic dance music, pop, rock, Latin-inspired sounds and theatrical arrangements, demonstrating a willingness to experiment with different genres.

• Soyeon has frequently used music to challenge expectations placed on women. Songs such as "TOMBOY," "Nxde" and "Queencard" explore identity, confidence, beauty standards and social expectations through different musical styles and concepts.

• She helped create "LION" for i-dle's appearance on Mnet's Queendom in 2019. The dramatic song became one of the group's defining performances and demonstrated how effectively Soyeon could connect music, choreography and visual storytelling.

• "TOMBOY" became a major turning point in i-dle's career. Released in March 2022, the song marked the group's first comeback following a lengthy hiatus and introduced a rebellious pop-rock sound that became a major commercial success.

• Soyeon was closely involved in creating "Nxde," released in October 2022. The song drew inspiration from Marilyn Monroe and challenged the tendency to reduce women to their appearance, combining a provocative title with a message about personal identity.

• She also helped create "Queencard," one of i-dle's biggest viral hits. Released in 2023, the song uses humor and exaggerated confidence to address beauty standards and self-acceptance.

• Soyeon has worked with the virtual K-pop group K/DA, portraying the League of Legends character Akali. She performed on "POP/STARS" alongside Miyeon, Madison Beer and Jaira Burns, introducing her rapping to audiences outside traditional K-pop fandoms.

• She performed as Akali again in the virtual hip-hop group True Damage. The group's 2019 song "GIANTS" featured Soyeon alongside Becky G, Keke Palmer, Duckwrth and Thutmose, connecting her career to another major League of Legends music project.

• Soyeon participated in the SM Station collaboration "Wow Thing" in 2018. The song brought her together with Red Velvet's Seulgi, GFRIEND's SinB and solo artist Chungha, creating a collaboration between performers from different entertainment companies.

• Her first solo mini album, Windy, was released on July 5, 2021. The project featured "BEAM BEAM" and allowed Soyeon to explore a musical identity distinct from i-dle's group releases.

• Soyeon created a fictional fast-food concept called Windy Burger for her Windy promotions. The playful branding extended into the album's packaging and promotional materials, showing her interest in building a complete creative world around a release.

• She has written and produced music for artists outside i-dle. Her collaborations and songwriting credits include work connected to artists such as Girls' Generation's Hyoyeon, demonstrating that her production career extends beyond her own group.

• Soyeon became a full member of the Korea Music Copyright Association in January 2024. The distinction recognized her established songwriting career and the substantial number of commercially released works associated with her name.

• She received the Songwriter Award at the Melon Music Awards in both 2022 and 2024. These honors recognized her work behind the music rather than only her performances as an idol.
<br • Soyeon has been outspoken about wanting i-dle to maintain its creative identity. Her role includes more than writing songs; she has also participated in shaping the group's concepts, performance direction and broader artistic presentation.

• All five i-dle members renewed their contracts with Cube Entertainment in late 2024. The decision allowed the group to continue together after years of speculation about its future.
<br • In May 2025, the group officially changed its name from (G)I-DLE to i-dle. Soyeon explained that she had questioned the inclusion of the word "girl" in the group's name since its debut, making the change particularly meaningful to her.

• Soyeon participated in writing, composing and arranging "Good Thing," the title track of i-dle's 2025 mini album We Are. She explained that the song incorporated electronic vocal effects reminiscent of music popular around 2009 and 2010.

• She became involved in producing the girl group Baby DONT Cry. Her work on the project represented another step toward establishing herself as a producer capable of helping develop artists beyond i-dle.

• Soyeon released her first full-length solo album, What a Wonderful Life, on September 7, 2026. The album arrived more than five years after Windy and marked her most substantial solo project to date.

• The title track of What a Wonderful Life centers on the idea of quitting a job. Its Korean title, "퇴사할게여," translates approximately to "I'm Quitting My Job," and the song uses a band-oriented sound to explore dissatisfaction with conventional working life.

• Cartoonist and television personality Kian84 contributed narration to her 2026 title track. His participation gave the song an additional connection to Korean popular culture beyond the music industry.

• Soyeon participated in writing and composing all eight songs on What a Wonderful Life. The album includes rock, hyperpop and disco influences, reflecting her interest in experimenting with genres outside the expectations associated with i-dle.