"Super Lady" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group

(G)I-dle (G)I-dle (), stylized in all caps, is a South Korean girl group formed by Cube Entertainment in 2018. The group consists of five members: Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua. Originally a sextet, Soojin left the lineup on August 14, 2 ...

for their second studio album '' 2''. It was released as the album's lead single by

Cube Entertainment Cube Entertainment Inc. () is a South Korean entertainment company. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and music publishing house. Cube are known for h ...

on January 29, 2024, in conjunction with the album. An

electro house Electro house is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by heavy bass and a tempo around 130 beats per minute. The term has been used to describe the music of many ''DJ Mag'' Top 100 DJs, including Benny Benassi, Skrillex, Steve Aoki ...

and

G-House Ghetto house or booty house is a subgenre of house music which started being recognized as a distinct style from around 1992 onwards. It features minimal 808 and 909 drum machine-driven tracks and sometimes sexually explicit lyrics. The templa ...

track driven by

military drums Military drums or war drums are all kinds of drums and membranophones that have been used for martial music, including military communications, as well as drill, honors music and military ceremonies. History Among ancient war drums that c ...

chant A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of note ...

s and "a strong

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gu ...

", the song was written and produced by group member Soyeon with additional writing credits from Pop Time, Daily and Likey. Its lyrics discuss themes of

female empowerment Women's empowerment (or female empowerment) may be defined in several ways, including accepting women's viewpoints, making an effort to seek them and raising the status of women through education, awareness, literacy, and training.Kabeer, Naila ...

confidence Confidence is a state of being clear-headed either that a hypothesis or prediction is correct or that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective. Confidence comes from a Latin word 'fidere' which means "to trust"; therefore, having ...

and strength. "Super Lady" received mostly positive reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...

who commend the group's musical growth and genre diversity. They also praised the production and the lead vocalist's range. However, some critics suggest that the intense lyrics sometimes overshadow the music. Commercially, the song saw moderate success, peaking within the top 10 in South Korea on the

Circle Digital chart The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based ...

and ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' Taiwan. It also reached the top 50 in Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. The accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...

, co-directed by Soyeon and High Quality Fish, was uploaded onto the group's

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channel simultaneously with the single's release. Inspired by Beyoncé's style, the video showcases the group embodying powerful female personas ranging from

Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress"), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those ...

to the Queen of Hearts. "Super Lady" received four first-place awards on

South Korean music programs Music programs of South Korea are broadcast weekly, with different artists performing on the shows to promote their music. South Korea's largest broadcasting companies each have their own show, which are broadcast on different channels. SBS has ...

Composition and lyrics

electro-house Electro house is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by heavy bass and a tempo around 130 beats per minute. The term has been used to describe the music of many ''DJ Mag'' Top 100 DJs, including Benny Benassi, Skrillex, Steve Aoki & ...

and

Ghetto house Ghetto house or booty house is a subgenre of house music which started being recognized as a distinct style from around 1992 onwards. It features minimal 808 and 909 drum machine-driven tracks and sometimes sexually explicit lyrics. The temp ...

track, ''The Honey Pop'' noted that the song mixes "military drums, chants" and "a strong bass" with lyrics revolving around themes of female empowerment. The publication wrote that the song "also included fun easter eggs in their lyrics referencing other K-Pop girl groups' hits, conveying that it's about empowering all women and not about competing against each other."

stated that "Super Lady" is a song "dedicated to every 'Super Lady' around the world and their beauty and strength within". In a ''

'' interview, Soyeon expressed that she wanted to also deliver a message containing the confidence and strength of each member of (G)I-dle. She commented how Beyoncé is "a 'Super Lady' because she does everything perfectly, influencing other people who want to follow."

Critical reception

In a review by '' IZM''s Lim Dong-yeop, he praised (G)I-dle's transition from "

Queencard "Queencard" () is a song by South Korean girl group (G)I-dle. It was released through Cube Entertainment on May 15, 2023, as the lead single of the group's sixth extended play, ''I Feel''. A pop song driven by rock and roll influence, written ...

" to "Super Lady" and their incorporation of various music styles like

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

and

pop-punk Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti- suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...

. However, he noted that while the melody is simple, the intense message makes it hard to fully enjoy the music. The heavy lyrics overshadow the musical experience, detracting from the focus on the music itself. Reporter Cho Sung-jin from ''Hankooki'' lauded the song's overall production and Soyeon's vocal abilities as "impressive". He drew parallels between the song's scenes and iconic artists like

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

, Beyoncé, and

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

, who dominated the late 90s to 2000s ''Billboard'' charts. Cho emphasized Soyeon's vocal range, especially her ability to hit a challenging " three-octave G". Despite primarily being a rapper in the group, Soyeon adeptly tackles demanding vocal sections, demonstrating her versatility. Additionally, Cho acknowledged Soyeon's role in (G)I-dle's success and her reputation for exceptional production skills. ''

Ilgan Sports ''Ilgan Sports'' ( ko, 일간스포츠; ''The Daily Sports'' or ''1S'' for short) is a South Korean daily sports and entertainment newspaper founded in 1969. Formerly under ''Hankook Ilbo'', it is now owned by the '' JoongAng Media Network'' thro ...

'' reporter Park Se-yeon, highlights Soyeon's empowering lyrics and the group's overall confidence, evident in their distinct vocal performances and the dynamic music video. She noted that the song underscores themes of empowerment and independence, reinforcing (G)I-dle's image as resilient performers.

Music video

The music video for "Super Lady" cost ₩1.1 billion (US$820,000) to produce, making it one of the most expensive music videos. It was co-directed by Soyeon along with High Quality Fish. It opens with the group members making an entrance on stage inside a stadium as lights flash around them. The visual has been likened to

2NE1 2NE1 (, ) was a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment, which was active between 2009 and 2016. The group was composed of four members: Bom, CL, Dara, and Minzy. Known for breaking typical stereotypes of K-pop, musical experim ...

's 2011 song "

I Am the Best "I Am the Best" () is a song recorded by South Korean girl group 2NE1 for their self-titled second EP. It was written and produced entirely by the group's long-time collaborator Teddy Park and was released for digital download as the third ...

", with ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' writing how (G)I-dle "channel the vibes" of 2NE1 in the music video "with larger-than-life styling and matching costumes." Throughout the video, each member takes on powerful female personas in their music video: Minnie as

, Soyeon as

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...

, Yuqi as Cruella, Miyeon as

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler. ...

, and Shuhua as the

Queen of Hearts The Queen (playing card), queen of hearts is a playing card in the standard 52-card deck. Queen of Hearts or The Queen of Hearts may refer to: Books * The Queen of Hearts (poem), "The Queen of Hearts" (poem), anonymous nursery rhyme published 17 ...

. ''

'' reporter Kim Jihyo observes that the video's grand scale, featuring numerous dancers and vibrant visuals, reflects the group's widespread fanbase. Kim also notes Jeon Soyeon's inspiration from Beyoncé, integrating elements from her music videos such as " Love on Top" and " Single Ladies."

Accolades

, "Super Lady" won four first place awards.

Listicles

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

References

{{(G)I-dle (G)I-dle songs 2024 songs 2024 singles Songs in Korean Cube Entertainment singles Songs written by Soyeon Songs with feminist themes South Korean electronic dance music songs Electro house songs Kakao Entertainment singles