(G)I-DLE has just made its comeback on Jan. 11 with a new album featuring its lead single "HWAA," which quickly rose to the top of both domestic and international charts.
Unfortunately, following the school bullying controversies of members Soojin and Soyeon, the sextet's new song saw a vast drop on the MelOn chart.
(G)I-DLE Makes Long-Awaited Comeback after Five Months with New Album "I burn"
On Jan. 11, Cube Entertainment's six-member girl group released its fourth extended play titled "I burn," which comprises six songs. The EP's lead track "HWAA," which was written by (G)I-DLE Soyeon and co-produced by Pop Time, is described as a moombahton-genre single with a catchy hook and oriental musical instrument. The lyrics convey the pain felt following a breakup with the use of burning fire and colorful flowers in the cold winter as a metaphor.
ALSO READ: (G)I-DLE Tops K-Pop Radar's 'Weekly Top 10 Music Video' + See Full Rankings
Upon its release, (G)I-DLE's new song "HWAA" become the group's new hit as the track scored No. 1 on the real-time charts of some of Korea's major music sites. It also managed to make it to MelOn's 24Hit chart, debuting at No. 98 and continued to ascend in the rankings, peaking at No. 10 on Jan. 12. The group even won first place in multiple music shows.
(G)I-DLE Soojin and Soyeon Face School Bullying Accusations
On Feb. 21, (G)I-DLE's main dancer, Soojin, was accused of bullying other students during her middle-school days. On the same day, actress Seo Shin Ae posted a cryptic Instagram story, hinting at being one of the victims of (G)I-DLE Soojin's bullying.
The idol then posted a letter regarding the matter and Cube Entertainment released an official statement saying that the K-pop star and the accuser's sibling only argued over the phone.
RELATED: (G)I-DLE Soojin Embroiled in School Bullying Rumors + Cube Entertainment Releases Statement
The following day, (G)I-DLE's leader and main rapper, Soyeon, was also embroiled in a school bullying controversy. The anonymous person posted in an online community, sharing an incident in which the "HANN" singer allegedly bullied them on their birthday.
(G)I-DLE's New Song "HWAA" Drops on MelOn Chart Following Soojin and Soyeon's School Bullying Issues
Just a few days after the school bullying accusations against Soojin and Soyeon, (G)I-DLE's new song "HWAA" saw a significant decline on the MelOn chart. The track's rankings on the chart from Feb. 19 to Feb. 24 are gaining attention since a big difference can be noticed.
On Feb. 19, "HWAA" came in at No. 24 but vastly plummeted to No. 38 on Feb. 24. Many believe that this is the effect of the recent controversy involving the two female idols, especially (G)I-DLE Soojin since many people stepped up to testify that she allegedly bullied actress Seo Shin Ae during their middle-school years.
ALSO READ: Accuser Reveals to Meet (G)I-DLE Soojin's Party with Lawyers + Anonymous Witness Writes Testimonies of Soojin Bullying Shin Ae
The performance of (G)I-DLE's new song "HWAA" on the MelOn chart recently became a hot topic among netizens.
In an online community, a user posted a photo showing the track's rankings with the title, "The effect of having a school bully in a K-pop group." Some commented that they don't listen to the song anymore after the school bullying controversy, while others say that it's unusual for a new song to drop like that, especially for an idol group that was at the top of the rankings before.
MelOn is known to be the hardest platform to chart on as it is based on unique listeners, which reflects how popular a K-pop artist is in South Korea. Hence, the more people listen to the song, the more it rises on the chart.
READ MORE: (G)I-DLE Soojin's Bullying Victim Believed to be Actress Seo Shin Ae as the Latter Posts Cryptic Instagram Story
Do you think the recent school bullying controversies of (G)I-DLE members Soojin and Soyeon affected their performance on MelOn chart? Let us know what you think in the comments.
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Written by Mhaliya Scott
