‘Heat’ EP Review: A Multifaceted English Debut from the Rising Queens of K-Pop

In collaboration with 88rising and CUBE Entertainment, (G)I-DLE released their first English album, “Heat” — an EP consisting of five brand new tracks. With multiple songs earning recognition on South Korean music shows and landing on Billboard’s Top 200, the five-member girl group has been on the rise both in Korea and abroad. “Queencard,” the group’s most recent title-track, brought the group’s greatest success yet, gaining over 13 million views on YouTube within the span of 24 hours.

The EP’s first track, “I DO” — which was pre-released on July 13 — is a fitting opener for the EP. Featuring synth sound effects, steady percussion, and guitar in addition to the girls’ voices, the song provides a heartfelt yet upbeat piece on regrets in love. “I DO” follows a girl who regrets not loving her partner enough before their relationship ended, lamenting that “now she got your heart, so I feel stupid, foolish.” The song goes on to beg the boy to take her back, claiming that his new girl “won’t ever love you like I do.” This opener’s simplicity in tune and lyrics solidifies its place as a strong, catchy introduction to the rest of the album as it touches upon the ups and downs of love.

The transition from “I DO” to “I Want That” marks a notable shift. Not only do the two songs differ in genre, with “I Want That” shifting toward an EDM sound featuring a brisker beat, but they also differ in their approach toward love. The crescendoing pre-chorus backed with dramatic vocals declares, “I want you to fall hardest of all / Until the tears roll down your face,” reflecting a desire for an all-consuming, “P-S-Y-C-H-O-T-I-C kinda love.” The dry punchiness of the intro verses stand in stark contrast to the heaviness of the pre-chorus and bridge. Nevertheless, the overarching idea of desiring love glues these parts together into a cohesive song.

“Eyes Roll” continues the sounds heard on “I Want That,” with a fast-paced trap beat driving the song forwards and a dominant theme of love. Unlike the second track, however, “Eyes Roll” maintains a clear musical throughline with the bridges and pre-choruses blending together perfectly with the rest of the song. This track belongs on replay in a nightclub, having a muted beat in the background throughout the song and upbeat dance breaks with “back, back, back, back, back” echoing percussively. The song is indeed “Hypnotic, exotic,” and able to “make your eyes roll back” with its catchy beat and power-infused lyrics.

“Flip It” is a clear standout among the other tracks on “Heat.” Structured around rap verses, “Flip It” breaks the trend of discussing love and reverts to (G)I-DLE’s usual theme of self-empowerment, stating, “I do what I wanna” and demanding “better respect this.” However, the distorted chorus chanting “crazy, sexy, hot” in the background in addition to the heavy bass beat and trap beat makes for a sonically busy song that can take a listen or two for its message to sink in.

Just as “I DO” serves as the perfect catchy opener, “Tall Trees” closes the album with a calming mood. “Tall Trees” is on the slower side and evokes a chill autumn vibe. Returning to the topic of love, this track takes a more passive approach towards relationships. Comparing themselves to trees, the girls ask their lover not to break their hearts “cause tall trees fall hard.” Instead of taking a more active role in the relationship as in the first three tracks, in “Tall Trees,” (G)I-DLE places the responsibility of nurturing their love in the hands of this would-be lover, and perhaps also in the hands of their fans.

Jeon Soyeon, (G)I-DLE’S leader, regularly earns writing credits on the group’s songs. “Heat,” however, is one of (G)I-DLE’s few works without Soyeon’s creative genius working behind the scenes. This may explain why the message of this EP seems to stray from the group’s usual theme of embracing individuality and instead focuses more on love and relationships.

Within the EP itself, the drastic changes from upbeat pop to rap and EDM make for striking songs that lack a collective sonic identity. However, this should not detract from fans’ enjoyment and appreciation of each individual track’s unique sound and storyline.

Overall, (G)I-DLE’s English language debut showcases their vocal abilities and mastery of different genres. In just over 15 minutes, the girl group delivers five powerful tracks on love, including self-love, the pursuit of love, or the acceptance of it. As their first all-English EP, “Heat” builds anticipation for what else (G)I-DLE might have in store for international audiences in the future.