i-dle talks about returning with their 9th Mini Album [We made]: "The 'We' series is about coming together as one"

Following a long era of "I" projects—starting with the debut mini-album [I am] and spanning through 2024 with [I made], [I trust], [I burn], [I Never Die], [I love], [I feel], and [I sway]—i-dle signaled a brand-new beginning on their seventh anniversary in 2025. This rebranding brings a new group name styling, i-dle, and a complete restart for their music, re-introducing the quintet through the special mini-album [We are i-dle]. 

Moving from [I am] to [We are i-dle], the group makes a bold statement about this fresh start and their dynamics. This narrative continues through their 9th Mini Album, [We made], the third installment in their "We" album series, following [We are] released in May 2025.

Through their latest project, i-dle explores the multifaceted concept of love. Featuring the tracks 'Mono (feat. skaiwater),' 'Gimme Dat Love,' 'Morning,' 'Crow,' and 'Love Is Pain,' the album's themes range from self-love and intense passion to raw vulnerability. "This time, I think we focused much more on expressing the essence of love itself," said SOYEON.

MIYEON, MINNIE, SOYEON, YUQI, and SHUHUA are currently on the 2026 i-dle WORLD TOUR [Syncopation], successfully holding shows across Asia and Australia, with their next stop in Macau on August 29.

In commemoration of their 9th Mini Album, allkpop had the opportunity to sit down with i-dle to talk about [We made] and touring. Check out our exclusive interview with i-dle below!

allkpop: First of all, congratulations on your 9th Mini Album, [We made]! How does it feel to kick off the 2026 i-dle WORLD TOUR [Syncopation], release your collaboration Digital Single ‘Mono (Feat. skaiwater),’ and now share [We made] with the world?

MINNIE: Now it’s 2026, and we’re on 2026 i-dle WORLD TOUR [Syncopation], our fourth world tour, which we’re really enjoying. For this 9th Mini Album [We made], we tried to focus on showing the new, best version of ourselves. And this 9th Mini Album [We made] really suits this summer, so please enjoy it!

allkpop: i-dle previously released a series of albums starting with "I," such as [I burn], [I love], and [I feel]. Following your rebranding in May 2025, we’ve seen a shift to the "We" series with [We are] and now [We made]. Could you share the thought process behind this shift? What does this transition from "I" to "We" mean for the group?

SOYEON: While i-dle started as a group of individuals, each with our own unique personality and charm, the “We” series is about coming together as one, and showing an even stronger and better side of i-dle as a group.

allkpop: i-dle has shown a bold charm since debut, and [We made] continues that legacy. In what ways do you think the sides you are sharing this time are "fresh" or "new"? How does [We made] specifically differ from your previous albums?

YUQI: Even from the music itself, the Mini Album feels very fresh because it explores genres that i-dle hasn’t really tried before. We also experimented with a lot of new things in both the music video and choreography, so I think listeners will be able to feel that refreshing energy throughout the Mini Album.

allkpop: Tell us about your overall experience working on your 9th Mini Album [We made]—from the song recording to music video shooting. What was your favorite part, and what was the most challenging part of preparing for [We made]?

MINNIE: I think everything was more enjoyable because I got to do it with the members. We had a lot of group practices while preparing for this Mini Album, including the practices we had on tour, and all that practice helped us build our stamina. It made me feel healthier and stronger, which I really appreciated.

allkpop: How long did it take to pick the songs for [We made], and why do you feel ‘Gimme Dat Love’ stands out as the perfect title track?

SOYEON: We spent a lot of time deciding which song should be the title track, and we even changed it several times. In the end, we chose ‘Gimme Dat Love’ because we felt it could show a different side of i-dle.

allkpop: If there is a specific message you want to share with [We made], what would you like to convey to your listeners?

SOYEON: Through [We made], we really wanted to show people that i-dle can sound like this too, or that i-dle can be seen in this way as well. Since we’re now around eight years into our career, we felt that some of the sides people have already seen from us could start to feel familiar, so we put a lot of effort into taking on more exciting challenges.

allkpop: You have frequently released music centered on the theme of love. To you, what is love, and how does that definition shape the way you express your thoughts and feelings through the music you create as i-dle? Love covers so many themes and concepts—what specific aspect of it do you hope to focus on and share with your audience this time?

SOYEON: We put a lot of effort into expressing the feelings you experience when you’re in love just as they are. If, in the past, we expressed different expressions of love, such as confident love, then this time, I think we focused much more on expressing the essence of love itself. ‘Mono (Feat. skaiwater)’ is a good example of that as well.

MIYEON: One thing I felt while filming the music video was that this Mini Album expresses a more instinctive kind of love, and I think we really tried to portray that through this project.

allkpop: As you celebrate your 8th anniversary and step into your 9th year since debut, in what ways do you feel you’ve grown or changed, and in what ways have you stayed the same? 

SHUHUA: My love for NEVERLAND has grown even stronger.

MINNIE, YUQI: Aww.

SHUHUA: No, really. The longer we’ve been together, the stronger that bond has become.

YUQI: Is there anything that’s stayed the same?

SHUHUA: Stayed the same?

MINNIE: Her hair, definitely.

SOYEON: Other than that, SHUHUA has stayed exactly the same.

SHUHUA: Well, I’ve held on to everything worth holding on to. Yes.

MINNIE: Her hair is still nice.

YUQI: Very nice.

allkpop: You kicked off the 2026 i-dle WORLD TOUR [Syncopation] in February. What has the experience of touring the world been like? Do you have a favorite memory so far?

MIYEON: Honestly, there are so many, but we get to see NEVERLAND up close. When we're on stage, we can see every single expression on their faces. We can actually see them much more clearly than people might think, so each of those moments when we're sharing that connection together stays with me.

SHUHUA: The moments we spend with NEVERLAND have really become a big part of the memories the five of us share, and that has made me very happy.

allkpop: Since we’re talking about touring, we’d love to know what the vibe is like before or after you take the stage. Do you have any specific rituals or routines that help you get in the zone of wind down after a performance?

YUQI: Do we have any?

MIYEON: Eating?

YUQI: Oh, that's right. Our concerts are usually around two and a half to three hours long, and especially this time, the last part of the show is very intense and high-energy. Normally, we tend to eat a little less because of our stage outfits, but this time we realized that we really need to eat well to make it through the entire show. So we've been eating more to build up our stamina and recharge our energy.

Even though this is our fourth tour, having a conditioning team is actually something relatively new for us. It's been a huge help for all the members. Whenever someone isn't feeling their best, they can immediately get treatment from our conditioning staff. We've all been working hard to stay in the best condition possible and put on great performances.

allkpop: To wrap up, please share a final message for allkpop readers and your fans worldwide.

MINNIE: Dear all allkpop fans and our NEVERLAND, we just released our 9th Mini Album [We made]. We hope you guys enjoy every song, especially our title song, ‘Gimme Dat Love’. Please enjoy this summer together with us. Thank you!