SEOUL, May 28 (AJP) - K-pop girl group i-dle has been featured on the digital cover of U.S. magazine PAPER as the group prepares for a July comeback.
PAPER released the cover shoot and interview with the five-member group — Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua — on Tuesday.
The feature comes as i-dle continues to expand its presence in North America through media appearances, festival stages and overseas promotions.
In the cover images, the members reinterpret a 1990s-inspired angelic mood through vivid colors, ornate styling and romantic details, creating a softer but still highly stylized image for the group.
PAPER described i-dle as a group that has grown more certain of its instincts and musical direction over time. The magazine said the group’s desire to strip away the unnecessary and move closer to the essential has come to define its music.
The magazine also highlighted the group’s ability to build one of K-pop’s most distinctive creative worlds, balancing theatricality with emotional directness.
The feature also looked at i-dle’s recent digital single “Mono (Feat. skaiwater),” released in January, describing it as a softer shift that still carries the confidence of artists no longer trying to prove themselves through noise.
PAPER also drew attention to “Crow,” a new song first performed during the group’s 2026 world tour “Syncopation.” The magazine noted that the song reworks the image of the crow — often associated with death, disaster or bad omens — into a symbol of survival and endurance.
The coverage adds momentum to i-dle’s upcoming activities in the United States. The group has recently appeared on NBC’s “Today” show, “The Kelly Clarkson Show” and “iHeart KPOP with JoJo” as part of its North American promotions.
i-dle is also scheduled to perform at Lollapalooza in July, marking another major U.S. festival appearance for the group.
In the feature, PAPER framed i-dle not simply as a K-pop act preparing another release, but as a group that has returned with a clearer sense of identity each time it has faced adversity.
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