I think it's safe to say that Queendom has done a lot for the groups that were involved. Sure, MAMAMOO ended up winning due to their popularity, but you'd be hard-pressed to deny that all of the other groups and artists involved got considerable boosts from being on the show. As of writing this, Oh My Girl's comeback is dominating the charts in Korea. AOA's Full Moon was a surprisingly stable comeback from a group that most people thought wouldn't survive the member changes. Lovelyz and Bommie haven't been as active since the show ended, but even MAMAMOO have become a real tour de force in the industry over the past number of months - something I feel was only accelerated by Queendom.

That leaves (G)I-DLE in an interesting position. It's safe to say that "Señorita" wasn't the comeback that a lot of people wanted - or were expecting - and while Soyeon's been somewhat active thanks to League of Legends, we haven't really seen or heard much new music from all 6 girls since "I made" was released in February of last year. But, with how well they seemed to do on Queendom with performances like the nightmare version of "Put It Straight (싫다고 말해)" and the showstopper that was "LION" (seriously, that song was phenomenal), anticipation for their comeback was high.

When the first teasers got released, that anticipation skyrocketed even higher.

Dark concepts are not something girl groups often attempt. Sure, you've got the obvious standouts like Dreamcatcher, but even then, there aren't that many exceptions to the rule.
It's largely something only boy groups foray into. But, if you ask me, if there's any other girl group who can pull off a concept like this one, it's (G)I-DLE. So, the only thing left to do is to see if they stuck the landing! Let's take a look at "I trust" and see if their momentum from Queendom fell flat, or if this was the conceptual switchup that we all wanted.

1. OH MY GOD [TITLE]

And I CANNOT talk about "Oh my god" without talking about that music video.

Remember when I said a bit ago that this song is its concept? If the song and lyrics didn't tell you that, THE VIDEO SCREAMS IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS.

You really have to watch it to understand what I mean. It's stunning, freaky, and so brilliantly put together. The production values are off the charts in just about every area of this song, and it's so much better off because of that. "Oh my god" has handily taken over "Hann (한) (-)" as my favourite (G)I-DLE title track, as polarizing as it may be. The concept is right up my alley, the song is interesting and masterfully put together, the lyrics are great and the video is one of the best of this year so far. This title really didn't disappoint for me, and it's exactly what I wanted from a comeback for these girls.

Bravo, (G)I-DLE - now, I can only hope and wait for more.

2. LUV U

It seems to be a common theme so far in 2020 for groups to extend their promotions with a b-side; Dreamcatcher did it not too long ago, and now (G)I-DLE are following suit. "Luv U" is the song of choice for those extra promotions, which is understandable considering Soyeon was largely involved in the creation and production of this one.

Setting those (admittedly high) expectations aside though, this song immediately came across as off-putting to a lot of people in the same way as "Oh my god". That tongue clicking sure isn't going to be for everyone, but if you can get past it, there are some glimmers of greatness to be found in "Luv U". The bass that permeates throughout is nasty, and gives what I thought would be a relatively stereotypical love song a completely different vibe. On top of that, you've got layers of warbled guitar samples, glitzy synths and a melody that switches between major and minor keys constantly (which is by far my favourite aspect of this song musically). It's definitely unconventional, but this album has set that tone with the title track, as far as I'm concerned. It fits in well with what they were trying to go for here, and by the end of the song, each individual element blends together so well that you'll probably forget about what was bothering you in the first place.

That's one of "Luv U"'s strengths - it feels like there are so many layers of detail that will take me a LOT of listens to fully unravel. I've listened to it a bunch as prep for this review, but I still don't feel like that's enough. It's surprisingly complex once you get into it, that's for sure. However, I do feel like it has one major downside - the storytelling just isn't as strong as everything else here. With such a small mini album, I figured that they would go for a more concentrated experience, and really try to tell a cohesive story or take the listener on a journey. While the rest of the songs here manage to do that in their own ways for me, I feel like it's the area where "Luv U" falls a bit short. Sure, you could look at the lyrics as having a darker edge, considering the theming of this album - for all we know, the person singing could easily be obsessed with their lover, considering how unhinged some elements of the song are. But at the same time, the song itself can come off as slightly repetitive and bland in some areas, and that makes me think I'm taking it a bit too seriously. It's a little disappointing, and it makes it the weakest song on the album for me, but considering how good everything is here... that's by no means a bad statement.

It may not be my favourite song here, but "Luv U" has its merits. I applaud it for being a love song that breaks out of the traditional boundaries and really tries to do something different; I just wish it had as much of a permeating atmosphere as everything else on this album. However, the beat is intense and really damn addicting, so if you're in the mood for a banger, this has you covered. I just felt more neutral about it than I did the other songs on this album, that's all!

3. MAYBE

Y'know what I'm not neutral on, though? "Maybe".

There's no maybe about it - this is one of (G)I-DLE's best songs for me. Not just B-sides - songs.

That beginning is honestly stunning. It's plodding, and almost contemplative in a way (which is befitting of the title). That strange, pattering hand clap that serves as the drum line is immediately distinctive, and it certainly grabbed my attention. The verses are relatively simple, often including just a simple bassline with the girls' vocals. There isn't much embellishment here. But it's got a purpose - they're subtle in all the right ways. They lull you into a sense of security, and make you feel like this is another ethereal love song.

AND THEN THE CHORUS BLOWS YOUR GODDAMN FACE OFF.

To all the K-Pop companies who have been experimenting with more electronic breakdowns in the past year or so: THIS is how you do an EDM drop as a chorus. I honestly don't even know if I can explain it, it's brilliant. Each time it loops, something new is added, and it never gets stale. Not once. It reinforces the fact that "Maybe" is just one big roller coaster ride, and there's no intention for you to get off any time soon. It also makes use of the trend I particularly love where each element is introduced on its own before being developed and layered upon later in the song. It gives the listener time to adjust to what they're hearing, figure out what's going on, and then develop on it in a way that feels natural and sonically amazing. Red Velvet's "Zimzalabim" does it, EXO's "Obsession" does it, and now "Maybe" does it as well - and it's up there with the best of them. (And if you know how much I adore those two aforementioned songs, you should know that this is high praise for me to be giving in the first place...)

The lulls in this song are so quiet and low so that the choruses hit that much harder, and holy fuck does it work. "Maybe" deserves to be blasted out of the best set of headphones or speakers you have, because then you'll really get to appreciate every little aspect of it. It's always changing, always developing, always going somewhere - and you are always being brought along for the ride.

I don't even know what else there is to say about "Maybe". It's one of those songs you really have to experience. Soyeon and collapsedone have worked together on (G)I-DLE songs before, notably with "What's Your Name". However, where I felt that song's drops were unsolicited and ruined the pacing, that couldn't be further from the truth for "Maybe". It's an experience in and of itself, and if you haven't heard it thus far, you are missing out. Big time. It's one of the best songs of 2020 so far, and you can definitely expect to see it at the end of the year in one of my lists. It deserves it, and so, SO much more.

4. LION

Thanks to "Lion" being released as a special track for Queendom, I've already covered it in my March comeback catchup review! You can read my thoughts on it there. 😊 (Spoilers: it's great and fits into the album perfectly. It's still just as good as it was when it first came out, and I think it'll stay that way for a long time!)

5. OH MY GOD (ENGLISH VER.)

I often tend to have a strange relationship with English versions of K-Pop songs - namingly, I often seem to love them more than most people do. For example, earlier this year, Stray Kids released English versions of "Levanter (바람)" and "Double Knot" as they attempted a small push into the American market. Now, I'm by no means a STAY, and I don't even listen to that much of Stray Kids' music, but I LOVE the English version of "Double Knot". It's smooth, fluid and accented in all the right places - and yet, there are a lot of people out there who feel like it's quite disjointed and inappropriate for the overall song! Hell, I could be biased towards Felix's voice, but maybe I'm just able to enjoy English versions of songs more, I don't know.

However, if you've been put off by English versions in the past, I cannot recommend this one enough - it's far and away the best English version of a K-Pop song I've heard! It honestly sounds like it was written in English in the first place, and Lauren Kaori absolutely nailed the vibe and mood of the lyrics overall. You get the exact same experience listening to the English version of "Oh my god" as you do the Korean version, and that's by no means an easy thing to pull off. Everything is carried over here, down to the minutiae.

And yes, that also applies to the queercoating! I'd say it's even MORE on the nose here than it is in the Korean version! The song flows excellently from one line to the next, and every single hint of emotion from the instrumental is carried over into the lyrics. I'd say it's even heightened and improved upon, actually! For example, those pre-choruses are already tense, what with the pounding drumline and rapid melody. But, in Miyeon's part of the English pre-chorus, the lines cleverly run into each other, giving the sense of a lack of control, and the feeling that things have gone way off the deep end. The girls' pronunciation is surprisingly great, too, so the first time I noticed those run-on lines, I was SO impressed. It's incredibly skilful on Lauren's part, and a real testament to the quality of the English lyrics overall.


Ultimately, this ended up really surprising me. I legitimately cannot decide which version of "Oh my god" I like more - the Korean version has specific moments in the lyrics that are great, but the English version has the added bonus of actually being able to understand it a lot easier as a foreigner. I feel like being able to fully understand the lyrics actually heightens the experience for me, but both versions of the song have their own merits. If you like the Korean version and didn't listen to this version, definitely give it a go! It's brilliant and absolutely worth your time. 



And, in the end, that's something I'd say about "I trust" as a whole. It's by far my favourite album of (G)I-DLE's so far - every song has its merits, and most of the songs here have become regular additions to my playlist already. This album will definitely be talked about again towards the end of the year, because goddamn, it really is that special. I've seen a lot of fluctuating hype going around for (G)I-DLE since their debut days, and I feel like this album absolutely justifies every bit of it - the hype is real, these girls are monster rookies, and with an album as good as this one, they've solidified their reputation for a long time to come. At least for me, anyway.



CREDITS FOR THE ENGLISH LYRICS I USED IN THIS REVIEW:
Oh my god

COVER IMAGE CREDITS:
(G)I-DLE Oh my god MV PNGs by marje96 on deviantArt
(G)I-DLE I trust TRUTH ver PNG by BEAPANDA on deviantArt
Black smoke on white background from elsetge.cat
Angel wings PNG by HZ-Designs on deviantArt