(G)I-DLE's Soyeon sparks debate with bold 'I Hate Vegetables Song'

(G)I-DLE leader Soyeon has once again become the center of attention with a new song featuring unique concepts and direct wordplay. Unlike the playful title 'I Hate Vegetables Song,' the music video has been assigned an age restriction requiring adult verification, sparking debates across online communities and parenting forums.

On the 22nd of last month, during 'Waterbomb Sokcho 2026' held in Sokcho, Soyeon first unveiled 'STAR' and 'I Hate Vegetables Song,' tracks from her first solo full-length album 'Awesome Life.' In particular, 'I Hate Vegetables Song' takes a direction diametrically opposed to 'STAR,' which featured intense EDM and provocative performances; instead, it is characterized by a cute, addictive melody and eccentric lyrics.

Subsequently, Soyeon released the music video for the song through her personal YouTube channel, 'Girl Soyeon White Paper.' The video, reminiscent of 2000s flash animations, features a character representing Soyeon's childhood performing exaggerated actions against various vegetable characters. Although an adult age restriction was applied to the video, an official reason for the restriction has not been provided. Some interpret that the somewhat violent animation direction, such as cutting vegetables with a knife, may have influenced the decision.

Online, diverse reactions poured in as the image of Soyeon singing 'I Hate Vegetables Song' in a bikini-style outfit at the Waterbomb stage combined with the song's eccentric concept. Evaluations varied from reactions like "The combination of the decadent atmosphere and the title is unexpected" to opinions such as "The lyrics are cute and addictive" and "Is a song like this being used as a promotional track?" However, it is difficult to extrapolate these specific online reactions to the opinion of the general public.

In particular, some parenting forums raised concerns that the song might not be appropriate for children to listen to, expressing worry about the influence of the lyrics. Conversely, some view the song simply as a comic track utilizing a "vegetable diss" and wordplay. The actual lyrics repeatedly employ wordplay by listing carrots, cucumbers, eggplants, green onions, onions, bell peppers, and lettuce in sequence, twisting their pronunciations and meanings.

The core of 'I Hate Vegetables Song' lies not in a serious rejection of specific foods, but in how Soyeon expands her actual preferences into a character and a narrative. Much of the lyrics are composed by utilizing the phonetic similarity and rhythm of words—such as wordplay involving lotus root or metaphors using "variety" (gajigaji) and broccoli—rather than focusing on the food itself. The discrepancy between the surface that sounds like a children's nursery rhyme and the device of an adult-restricted animation is the very element creating the song's buzz.

Soyeon is an artist who has always been actively involved in shaping (G)I-DLE's musical identity. From the group's debut song 'LATATA' in 2018 to major hits like 'TOMBOY,' 'Nxde,' and 'Queencard,' she has established her position as a creator beyond being just an idol group member by directly writing, composing, and producing. In particular, the method of twisting commonly familiar subjects and shaking the boundaries of the existing girl group image is a recurring characteristic in her music.

This solo album is also a stage that more directly reveals such creative tendencies. It is her first solo full-length album presented approximately 5 years and 2 months after her first solo mini-album 'Windy' in 2021, and it holds significance as her first full-length studio album since her debut. From the album title 'Awesome Life' to the promotion scheduler being organized in a bucket list format—such as "Making awesome songs," "Finding romance for no reason at the Han River," and "Reconciling with vegetables?"—Soyeon's unique playfulness and self-narrative are actively reflected.

Therefore, the controversy surrounding 'I Hate Vegetables Song' is not a matter that can be viewed simply as "an idol sang a song about hating vegetables." It is a case where the extent to which familiar subjects in popular music can be satirized intersects with how much social responsibility is required of a creator when adult viewing restrictions are combined with wordplay that children can easily follow.

However, since the currently confirmed reactions are opinions centered around online communities and some parenting forums, it is difficult to conclude that "the entire public accepted it negatively." In fact, at the Waterbomb venue, there was a positive response to the new song's release, and the agency also introduced the track as a new song demonstrating Soyeon's wide musical spectrum.

Soyeon's first full-length album 'Awesome Life' is scheduled to be released on the 7th at 6 PM. Whether 'I Hate Vegetables Song' will remain a mere viral sensation or establish itself as a representative solo track showcasing Soyeon's signature twisted humor and genre experimentation depends on the public's choice following the official music release.