Wikipedia

Super Lady

"Super Lady" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group (G)I-dle for their second studio album 2. It was released as the album's lead single by Cube Entertainment on January 29, 2024, in conjuction with the album. An electro house and G-House track driven by military drums, chants and "a strong bass", the song was written and produced by group member Soyeon with additional writing credits from Pop Time, Daily and Likey. Its lyrics discuss themes of female empowerment, confidence and strength.

"Super Lady"
Single by (G)I-dle
from the album 2
LanguageKorean
ReleasedJanuary 29, 2024 (2024-01-29)
Genre
Length2:32
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Soyeon
(G)I-dle singles chronology
"Wife"
(2024) 		"Super Lady"
(2024) 		" Klaxon"
(2024)
Music video
"Super Lady" on YouTube

"Super Lady" received mostly positive reviews from music critics who commend the group's musical growth and genre diversity. They also praised the production and the lead vocalist's range. However, some critics suggest that the intense lyrics sometimes overshadow the music. Commercially, the song saw moderate success, peaking within the top 10 in South Korea on the Circle Digital chart and Billboard Taiwan. It also reached the top 50 in Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore.

The accompanying music video, co-directed by Soyeon and High Quality Fish, was uploaded onto the group's YouTube channel simultaneously with the single's release. Inspired by Beyoncé's style, the video showcases the group embodying powerful female personas ranging from Medusa to the Queen of Hearts. "Super Lady" received four first-place awards on South Korean music programs.

Composition and lyrics

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An electro-house[1] and Ghetto house track,[2] The Honey Pop noted that the song mixes "military drums, chants" and "a strong bass" with lyrics revolving around themes of female empowerment. The publication wrote that the song "also included fun easter eggs in their lyrics referencing other K-Pop girl groups' hits, conveying that it's about empowering all women and not about competing against each other."[3] Cube Entertainment stated that "Super Lady" is a song "dedicated to every 'Super Lady' around the world and their beauty and strength within".[4] In a Billboard interview, Soyeon expressed that she wanted to also deliver a message containing the confidence and strength of each member of (G)I-dle. She commented how Beyoncé is "a 'Super Lady' because she does everything perfectly, influencing other people who want to follow."[5]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
IZM     [6]

In a review by IZM's Lim Dong-yeop, he praised (G)I-dle's transition from "Queencard" to "Super Lady" and their incorporation of various music styles like Latin and pop-punk. However, he noted that while the melody is simple, the intense message makes it hard to fully enjoy the music. The heavy lyrics overshadow the musical experience, detracting from the focus on the music itself.[6] Reporter Cho Sung-jin from Hankooki lauded the song's overall production and Soyeon's vocal abilities as "impressive". He drew parallels between the song's scenes and iconic artists like Britney Spears, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga, who dominated the late 90s to 2000s Billboard charts. Cho emphasized Soyeon's vocal range, especially her ability to hit a challenging "three-octave G". Despite primarily being a rapper in the group, Soyeon adeptly tackles demanding vocal sections, demonstrating her versatility. Additionally, Cho acknowledged Soyeon's role in (G)I-dle's success and her reputation for exceptional production skills.[1] Ilgan Sports reporter Park Se-yeon, highlights Soyeon's empowering lyrics and the group's overall confidence, evident in their distinct vocal performances and the dynamic music video. She noted that the song underscores themes of empowerment and independence, reinforcing (G)I-dle's image as resilient performers.[7]

Music video

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The music video scene features the group on stage in a stadium with flashing lights, reminiscent of 2NE1's 2011 song "I Am the Best."

The music video for "Super Lady" cost ₩1.1 billion (US$820,000) to produce, making it one of the most expensive music videos.[8] It was co-directed by Soyeon along with High Quality Fish.[9] It opens with the group members making an entrance on stage inside a stadium as lights flash around them. The visual has been likened to 2NE1's 2011 song "I Am the Best",[10][11][12] with NME writing how (G)I-dle "channel the vibes" of 2NE1 in the music video "with larger-than-life styling and matching costumes."[10] Throughout the video, each member takes on powerful female personas in their music video: Minnie as Medusa, Soyeon as Athena, Yuqi as Cruella, Miyeon as Cleopatra, and Shuhua as the Queen of Hearts. Ilgan Sports reporter Kim Jihyo observes that the video's grand scale, featuring numerous dancers and vibrant visuals, reflects the group's widespread fanbase. Kim also notes Jeon Soyeon's inspiration from Beyoncé, integrating elements from her music videos such as "Love on Top" and "Single Ladies."[9]

Accolades

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On South Korean music programs, "Super Lady" won four first place awards.

Music program awards for "Super Lady"
Program Date Ref.
Show Champion February 7, 2024 [13]
M Countdown February 8, 2024 [14]
February 15, 2024 [15]
February 22, 2024 [16]

Listicles

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Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement
Publisher Year Listicle Placement Ref.
Billboard 2024 The 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024 (So Far): Critic's Picks 12th [17]

Charts

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Release history

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Release history for "Super Lady"
Region Date Format Label
Various January 29, 2024

References

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  1. ^ a b Cho, Sung-jin (February 25, 2024). "[조성진의 가창신공] (여자)아이들 소연, 진짜 '슈퍼 레이디'?". Hankooki (in Korean). Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  2. ^ Yoo, Jeong-min (March 8, 2024). "(여자)아이들, '아브라카다브라' 재해석…당당한 매력+강렬한 에너지" [(G)I-DLE, reinterpreting ‘Abracadabra’… Impressive charm + intense energy]. MBC News (in Korean). Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  3. ^ Juu (February 4, 2024). "(G)I-dle Empower Us With 'Super Lady' And Their Second Full-Length Album". The Honey POP. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  4. ^ Yoon, So-yeon (January 29, 2024). "(G)I-dle drops '2' for every 'Super Lady' as group powers through health, lyric fights". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  5. ^ Benjamin, Jeff (February 5, 2024). "(G)I-dle Break Down Their '2' Album Track-by-Track". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Super lady – (여자)아이들". IZM. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  7. ^ Park, Se-yeon (March 4, 2024). "[IS포커스]"(여자)아이들, 아이 콜 유 슈퍼 레이디" ①" [[IS Focus] “(G)I-DLE, I Call You Super Lady” ①]. Ilgan Sports (in Korean). Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  8. ^ "(여자)아이들 전소연 "드디어 전담팀 생겨..MV에 11억 썼다" ('아는 형님')" [(G)I-dle Jeon So-yeon "We finally have a dedicated team... we spent 1.1 billion won on the MV" ('Knowing Bros')]. Osen (in Korean). Naver. February 2, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Kim, Jihyo (March 3, 2024). ""11억 썼어"… '슈퍼 레이디' 정말 돈 값한다 [MV톺아보기] ③" [“I spent 1.1 billion won”… ‘Super Lady’ is really worth the money [Watch the MV] ③]. Ilgan Sports (in Korean). Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Yeo, Gladys (January 29, 2024). "(G)I-DLE channel 2NE1 in their new music video for 'Super Lady'". NME. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  11. ^ Baek, Ji-eun (February 2, 2024). "[SC초점] (여자)아이들, 어쩌다 논란의 아이콘 됐나…선정성·11억 MV·킬링파트까지" [[SC Focus] (G)I-dle, how did they become a controversial icon? Sensationality, 1.1 billion MV, and even a killing part]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  12. ^ Park, Seo-hyun (January 30, 2024). "[팝업뮤직](여자)아이들, 활동 의지 '활활'..우기·민니 임시 복귀→완전체 컴백(종합)" [[Pop-up Music] (G)I-dle, 'vigorous' willingness to be active… Yuqi and Minnie’s temporary return → Full comeback (comprehensive)]. Herald Pop (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  13. ^ "프로그램 게시판 상세 | MBC PLUS". MBC M (in Korean). February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  14. ^ Ha, Kyung-heon (February 8, 2024). 아이들, ‘슈퍼 레이디’로 ‘엠카’도 정복…음악방송 2관왕(여자) [I-dle conquer ‘M Countdown’ as ‘Super Lady’… 2 music broadcast wins (female)]. Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024 – via Naver.
  15. ^ Jin, Joo-hee (February 15, 2024). (여자)아이들, ‘Super Lady’로 ‘엠카’ 2주 연속 1위 [(G)I-dle win 1st place on 'M Countdown' for 2 weeks in a row with 'Super Lady'] (in Korean). MK Sports. Retrieved February 15, 2024 – via Naver.
  16. ^ Lee, Se-bin (February 22, 2024). (여자)아이들 ‘슈퍼 레이디’로 ‘엠카’ 3주 연속 1위 [(G)I-DLE takes first place on ‘M Countdown’ for 3 consecutive weeks with ‘Super Lady’] (in Korean). Ilgan Sports. Retrieved February 22, 2024 – via Naver.
  17. ^ Benjamin, Jeff (July 5, 2024). "The 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024 (So Far): Critic's Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  18. ^ "Billboard Global 200: Week of February 17, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  19. ^ "Hong Kong Songs: Week of February 17, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  20. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot 100 – Week of February 7, 2024". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  21. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Streaming: 2024-02-12" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  22. ^ "RIAS Top Charts Week 6 (2 - 8 Feb 2024)". RIAS. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  23. ^ "Digital Chart – Week 7 of 2024". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  24. ^ "Taiwan Songs: Week of February 17, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  25. ^ "Digital Chart – February 2024". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved March 9, 2024.
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