(G)I-DLE came back with their first full-length album, I NEVER DIE, on March 14th, 2022.
Their comeback showed off the members’ powerful images, stunning vocals, and impressive dancing.
However, some fans noticed lyrics in both the title track “TOMBOY” as well as in Soyeon‘s rap verse in “NEVER STOP ME” that made them wonder if Soyeon was dissing former Cube Entertainment idol HyunA.
In “TOMBOY,” Soyeon has a line that goes, “I don’t wanna play this ping pong. I would rather film a TikTok.”
Since HyunA has an iconic song with her fiancé DAWN called “PING PONG,” some netizens believed that “play the ping pong” was a reference to playing HyunA’s song. In which case, Soyeon was saying that she would “rather film a TikTok” than listen to her former labelmate’s music.
However, while this interpretation seems plausible out of context, the rest of the song is about (G)I-DLE telling an ex-boyfriend that they don’t care about being the Barbie doll their ex-boyfriend wanted, and want to keep living the tomboy life they want.
The following lines in Soyeon’s part go, “Your mom raised you as a prince. But this is queendom, right?” This shows that her words are directed at the ex-boyfriend, making any connection to HyunA even less plausible.
Similarly, Soyeon’s use of “ping pong” likely is similar to how HyunA and DAWN used the term. As a way to describe the often playful back-and-forth between couples. While in HyunA and DAWN’s “PING PONG,” they were embracing the concept, in “TOMBOY,” Soyeon is rejecting love, which is why she doesn’t want to “play the ping pong.”
Netizens were also surprised by Soyeon’s verse in “NEVER STOP ME,” where she raps the lines “Scolded by daddy, out of company, looking forward to your wedding.”
Once again, out of context, these lyrics could be understandably seen as a diss towards HyunA. HyunA was kicked out of Cube Entertainment when HyunA and DAWN confirmed their dating rumors. And now that HyunA and DAWN are engaged, they will be getting married, making some netizens believe Soyeon was referencing their upcoming wedding.
However, fans of (G)I-DLE were quick to point out that, once again, the lines didn’t make sense as a diss at HyunA when you look at the song in its entirety.
Similar to “TOMBOY,” “NEVER STOP ME” focuses on describing an ex-boyfriend, but this time it is after an unexpected breakup, and the girl is left heartbroken. Still, (G)I-DLE sings about not simply taking the breakup and instead firing the “last rocket.” In other words, taking revenge.
The line about “looking forward to your wedding” then likely implies that the revenge the girl plans to take will happen at her ex-boyfriend’s future wedding, ruining his happy moment.
Similarly, “out of company” could refer to the girl in the song no longer having her ex-boyfriend’s company.
But some fans believe that that specific line does reference someone, just not HyunA. Instead, fans believe that “out of company” refers to former (G)I-DLE member Soojin. Cube Entertainment recently terminated their contract with Soojin, leaving her “out of [the] company.”
This theory is furthered by other possible subtle nods to Soojin in I NEVER DIE, like the number of balloons in the music video for “TOMBOY.”
So while it is possible to assume that Soyeon’s lyrics referenced HyunA without the context of the songs, the lyrics all clearly fit within the stories told by the songs.
And, of course, it wouldn’t make sense for Soyeon to have dissed an idol whom she so greatly respects.
You can watch (G)I-DLE’s “TOMBOY” here.
You can listen to (G)I-DLE’s “NEVER STOP ME” here.
You can watch HyunA and DAWN’s “PING PONG” here.
