The Message, Cinematics, and Emotional Impact of “Nxde” by (G)I-DLE

Written by: Nicole Struzinsky

July 18, 2023

Entering the World of “Nxde”

I’ve always loved music. It’s been my place of tranquility for as long as I can remember. So that bright fall day in September 2017 when my little sister introduced me to K-pop is surely one I will remember for the rest of my life.

About a year later, fully immersed in K-pop as a devoted “netizen” (Internet citizen), I had a realization about my emotional connection to music. It came not only from listening to K-pop, but also from watching it. This is when I realized why I love K-pop so much: because of the quality, the visuals, the dancing, and, most importantly, the storylines of its music videos.

Many K-pop music videos are bright and cheerful, or striking and bold, to match the vibe of their songs. However, there are a few K-pop groups and artists—like so many other musicians around the world—who use the joint mediums of music and film to spread specific messages to their listeners. Sometimes these art pieces tell personal stories, sometimes they tell fictional stories, and sometimes they tell my personal favorite: social stories—the type of stories that call out social injustices.

And that is exactly what “Nxde” by (G)I-DLE is. A visually pleasing, catchy, and intentionally crafted piece of art that (not so) subtly calls out the unspoken societal standard of how nudity (especially of women) is stigmatized and tends to come with a sexual connotation. Within just the first lines, the song’s message begins to emerge:

Why you think that ‘bout nude

‘Cause your view’s so rude

Think outside the box

Then you’ll like it

(G)I-DLE is well known for their more self-empowering and woman-empowering music, and this song is nothing short of being one of their best works in keeping with that theme.

A Look into (G)I-DLE

(G)I-DLE, or in Korean (여자)아이들, is a five-member girl group under CUBE Entertainment. The group consists of Soyeon, Minnie, Yuqi, Shuhua, and Miyeon. They debuted in May 2018 with the extended play (EP) I Am and have since released an additional five EPs, one studio album, and eight digital singles.

Soyeon takes the lead position in the group and is highly credited on much of the group’s discography. She writes the majority of the lyrics, taking solo credit as lyricist for over half of (G)I-DLE’s discography, and she assists in the production and arrangement of many of the group’s songs.

(G)I-DLE’s “title tracks,” as they are called in K-pop (these are songs that are released with a music video, paired with choreography, and promoted on Korean music shows), are popular due to their powerful vocals, composition, and lyrics. Such songs include “Oh my god” and “화(火花 )(HWAA).”

Within the past few years, (G)I-DLE has released many songs with a more social and self-empowering theme. The group’s popularity comes from their ability to turn strong messages into entertaining, catchy songs. Such songs include “Lion,” “TOMBOY,” “퀸카(Queencard),” and, of course, “Nxde.”

While both the lyrics of “Nxde” and the visuals of its music video begin to get its intended message across, it is only when they are paired together that the full story gets told.

In particular, this music video provides a perfect study for the way the cinematics of music videos can create an emotional experience around, and connection to, social justice.

So, are you ready to become an audience member for “Nxde”?

If so, follow me down the rabbit hole…

The Cinematics and Message of “Nxde”

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The Emotional Impact of “Nxde”

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Closing the Curtain

Songs are made by their creators for specific reasons, but it’s the fans and listeners who push a song to its full potential.

As Lyndon Way (2017, p. 97) writes, “Despite varying criteria for authenticity [sic] all of which point to musicians being sincere and singing from the heart, studies highlight the central role of the listener” in judging the authenticity of a song.

Any song, any music video, will have a different impact on different listeners. If a music video like “Nxde,” which carries a message with the intent to break down stereotypes, is not watched by the people it was meant for, then does anything really change?

Even if a song does not change society on a grand scale, that does not mean it hasn’t made any impact. If people relate to a song and find solace in a music video, a song will be successful in bringing meaning into the world.

“Nxde” alone may not have entirely torn down the stigma around nudity, but the song has indeed left a mark—one that is intentional.

My favorite part of the whole song lies in the title “Nxde,” especially when paired with the group’s name.

Korean

(여자)아이들

“여자” (yo-ja)

“아이들” (ah-e-dul)

–>

English

(G)I-DLE

“girl”

1. “IDLE,” which is where their name comes from

2. “child”

“Nxde” is the official title of the song; there is no official Korean title. But when searching for it in Korean, most times people type “누드” (nu-duh), which is just “nude,” not censored like in English.

So, how did this song leave a mark?

In South Korea, like in many countries, there has been a big issue with the distribution of child pornography. Given that (G)I-DLE’s name includes the word for “girl” as well as “child,” and given that the song’s name is “nude,” the group not only spread a social message with the song—they actually helped to disrupt Internet search results. When the song was released and did well on the music charts, when people would type phrases like “아이들 누드” or “여자아이들 누드” [“child nude” and “girl child nude”] into search engines, the song “누드” by (여자)아이들 would come up instead. Truly a genius idea.

As a student in the conflict analysis and resolution field with a desire to use art for social change, my goal is to create videos that send a message, just like “Nxde” does.

People have intentions when creating music and music videos, as the search term disruption by (G)I-DLE shows. Through these intentions, music can have real impact, not just via its message, but through the emotional connection it creates between artists and audiences.

And if people who enjoy a song come together to push the agenda of said song, who’s to say real social change can’t occur?

🎵 LISTEN — TNT Lab’s “Nxde” Playlist 🎵

Selfie-style photo of Nicole Struzinsky, a white woman with shoulder-length brown hair. She is wearing a floral blue dress over a white t-shirt. There are green trees in the background.

Author Bio

Nicole Struzinsky is a fourth-year Honors College undergraduate student at George Mason University. She is majoring in Conflict Analysis and Resolution with a concentration in Social Change through the Arts. As a researcher and advocate for social change, her studies center on how the arts, such as film, music, and dance, can be utilized as a medium to influence people to act for social justice. Her goal is to use narrative work to explore how the structure of narratives is essential to understanding written and spoken conflicts. She hopes to use that knowledge to create stories that transform conflicts.

HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE

Struzinsky, Nicole. (2023, July 18). “The message, cinematics, and emotional impact of ‘Nxde’ by (G)I-DLE.” The Narrative Transformation Lab. https://tntlab.carterschool.gmu.edu/discover/rabbit-holes/the-message-cinematics-and-emotional-impact-of-nxde-by-gi-dle/

Image Credits

All images are video stills from the following videos:

“(여자)아이들((G)I-DLE) – ‘Nxde’ Official Music Video [Video].” YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCO7f0SmrDc.

The specific time stamps for each video still can be found underneath each image.

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