I trust

A respectable top-three finish on the 2019 Mnet survival show *Queendom* seems to have dumped petrol on the raging ambition already burning within (G)I-DLE. The six-member group crafts a confident fire-and-desire mission statement on their third mini-album—from its title and adventurous production to the group’s playful but elegant vocal interplay. SOYEON’s growth as a rapper and songwriter is especially evident as she shreds bars and collects writing checks on all five tracks. “Luv U” opens with ASMR mouth clicks (a la Snoop’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot”), then plunges into a shadowy abyss of hip-hop and EDM. The stuttering trop-house of “Maybe” opens into their mighty empowerment anthem “LION.” The centerpiece “Oh my god” is an emotional rollercoaster with production twists, turns, and unpredictable drops. The mini-album, their first with Universal/Republic, closes with an English-language version of “Oh my god,” a move that speaks to a higher goal: global domination.

K-Pop sextet (G)I-DLE’s third mini album boasts powerful music and a bold soundscape that sets up the ascent of the group’s ever-expanding