IN CONVERSATION WITH IDID

interview by JANA LETONJA

Rising K-pop group IDID is entering an exciting new era with the release of The Single Album [FLY!], a vibrant two-track project that showcases the group’s growing confidence, chemistry, and youthful energy. Featuring the title track FLY! and B-side Attent!on, the release marks a brighter and more self-assured evolution for the seven-member group following their debut projects I did it. and PUSH BACK. Formed through the survival program Debut’s Plan and launched by Starship Entertainment, IDID has quickly become one of K-pop’s most promising rookie acts, balancing old-school hip-hop influences, playful authenticity, and emotionally driven storytelling as they continue carving out their own identity in the global music scene.

FLY! feels like a brighter and more confident chapter for IDID. What inspired this new direction?

Baek: Once FLY! was finalized, we started working on a variety of shoots and creative content for the album. Throughout the entire process, preparing for the shoots, filming, and even monitoring everything ourselves, we put a lot of effort into showing a more natural and genuine side of IDID that we hadn’t revealed before. I think those efforts naturally led us into a brighter and more confident new chapter. 

How would you describe the group’s growth since your debut with I did it.?

Jang: Our passion for everything we create, whether it’s performances, music, or visual content, has grown even stronger since our debut. More than before, I’ve wanted to show my growth through the results of our work, and that mindset has pushed me to try new things throughout the creative process. At the same time, seeing the other members continue to grow motivates me to keep pushing myself forward as well, and I’m doing my best to grow alongside them.

Kim: I think IDID has grown the most in terms of performance. Through consistent practice, we’ve become capable of showing much more than before, and as we’ve gained more experience, our confidence and expressiveness on stage have improved. I’m really excited to see how much more fun and dynamic our performances will become as we continue to grow even further in the future. Please continue to look forward to IDID’s journey and growth.

Park W.: I think the biggest change for us has been becoming more confident and experienced in what we do. Through various experiences, including performances, variety content, and photoshoots, all of us have become much more comfortable and skilled. Of course, there are still many areas where we want to improve, but we’re continuing to learn and grow step by step. We hope everyone will keep looking forward to seeing IDID evolve even more. 

Chu: I think the biggest thing we’ve gained is confidence. Back when we first debuted, we were full of passion and determination, and now, with more experience and stronger teamwork, we’ve developed the confidence that we can truly show the kind of performances and music IDID wants to present.

With every new release, we want to keep showing our growth and continue becoming a group that lives up to our name, a team that always “I did it.”

Park S.: I think the biggest difference compared to our debut album is the sense of confidence and ease we’ve gained through experience. Back then, every moment and every stage felt completely new to us, so we were naturally very nervous. But as we continued promoting and performing, we gradually learned how to enjoy the stage more, and the whole process itself has become genuinely fun for us. Since there are still so many things we haven’t experienced yet, we want to keep growing through new challenges and experiences moving forward as well.

Baek: I think the biggest change for me has been gaining a sense of ease and confidence. In the beginning, we were so focused on simply showing everything we had prepared, but now, I think we’ve developed the ability to naturally show even more than what we prepared, no matter where we are or what stage we’re on.

Jeong: There are so many things that come to mind, but if I had to choose one, I’d say I’ve gained much more confidence and belief in myself. Back during Debut’s Plan, I struggled with a lot of self-doubt and lacked confidence in many ways. But after meeting WITHID and IDID members, I feel like I’ve become a much stronger and more grounded person.

The song blends old-school hip-hop with modern K-pop sounds. What drew you to that style?

Jang: We were really drawn to the exciting energy that old-school hip-hop naturally brings. When that energy blended with the personalities and vibe of the IDID members, it created a really fun and dynamic atmosphere for the song. As you follow the heavy kick throughout the track, I think listeners will naturally find themselves moving to the rhythm and nodding their heads along without even realizing it.

Which part of FLY! best represents IDID’s identity right now?

Chu: I think the chorus best represents who IDID is right now. Just like the title suggests, it carries the message of wanting to fly even higher, and I feel like that reflects exactly where we are as a group at this moment

Attent!on has a softer, more playful energy. How does it contrast with FLY!?

Park W.: The title track FLY! carries a stronger and more intense energy, while also expressing the bold ambitions and confidence of IDID. On the other hand, Attent!on has a much softer and more refreshing vibe, which I think shows a completely different side and atmosphere.

The release has been described as having “after-school energy.” What does that concept mean to you personally?

Jang: “After-school” feels a lot like freedom to me. It reminds me of those school days when we would impatiently wait for the final bell to ring, counting down the minutes until class was over. The excitement of quickly changing shoes and running out past the school gates with your friends after school feels very similar to the carefree and uplifting energy of FLY!,  almost like the feeling of being ready to take off and fly.

Kim: The idea of “after-school” feels like a comfortable and freeing kind of energy to me, the kind you experience when I finally have time completely to myself. Since I’m naturally more introverted, I recharge the most when I get to spend time on my own and relax. I hope that many people can also feel refreshed and gain positive energy through listening to FLY! just like I do.

Park W.: The phrase “after-school” carries a very free-spirited and energetic feeling. During the day, everyone is usually focused on their responsibilities and busy schedules, so it can be hard to truly enjoy own personal time. But after school, you get to spend time with people who matter to you, like friends and family, and I think that’s when you can really feel a livelier, relaxed, and joyful kind of energy.

Chu: It feels a lot like freedom and excitement. It’s that moment after you’ve finished everything you needed to do for the day, and you finally get the chance to fully enjoy the things you truly want to do. While preparing this album, that idea really stayed with us. Rather than staying within a fixed framework, we wanted to show our real personalities and energy in a more honest and natural way.

Park S.: I spent most of my after-school time during my student days dancing and singing. Whenever I was practicing or performing, I could let go of all the thoughts and worries I usually carried and just fully enjoy the moment. While preparing for this album and learning throughout the process, I was able to feel that same kind of energy and excitement again.

Baek: I think the moments we spend freely enjoying ourselves after school often show own true personalities more than the neat and structured version of ourselves we present during the day. That’s why, with this album, we really tried to show a more natural, honest, and genuine side of ourselves.

Jeong: After school ends, it feels like nobody can stop you anymore. I think that kind of free and liberating energy matches IDID really well. During class, everyone is focused on working hard and doing what they’re supposed to do, but after school, we can hang out with friends, take naps, eat good food, and just enjoy doing whatever we truly want. We really wanted to capture that same carefree and joyful energy in this album as well.

How has your chemistry as a group evolved since forming through Debut’s Plan?

Jeong: When we were trainees, we weren’t actually that close because we were all in different training groups. But after becoming IDID together, we started spending so much more time with each other and sharing a lot of happy moments together, which naturally brought us much closer. Now, the six members have truly become people I can’t imagine my life without.

How do you balance individuality while still creating a strong team identity?

Park S.: It’s definitely a challenge to grow as individuals while also building a strong and cohesive identity as a team. Personally, I try to gain inspiration and different perspectives by watching performances, videos, and interviews from a wide variety of artists. As I continue finding ways to express those inspirations in my own style, I feel like I’m gradually developing my own color and identity. At the same time, our members are very open with each other when it comes to sharing thoughts and opinions. Through those conversations, a lot of good ideas naturally come out, and I think that process is what ultimately shapes IDID’s unique team color.

Your performances feel very natural and energetic. How important is authenticity to IDID as a group?

Kim: I think authenticity is one of the most important things for us as a group. When something genuinely comes from the heart, it naturally carries a stronger emotional impact and reaches people in a more meaningful way. One’s sincerity can positively influence the other members and bring us even closer together as a team. And I also believe that the people who support and watch IDID are able to feel closer to us through that honesty and authenticity. 

What has surprised you most about the response from international fans so far?

Jang: Through various social media, we’ve really been able to feel just how many people around the world are showing love and support for us. Especially when we see heartfelt comments from global fans written in different languages, it reminds us once again how much love we’re receiving. We’re always performing with a truly grateful heart because of that support

Park W.: When we performed at KCON last year, I was honestly amazed by the incredible energy and passion of the global fans. The loud cheers and support felt so overwhelming in the best way possible, and that energy made us even more excited and happy while performing. Even now, looking back on it, that moment still remains one of the most memorable and surprising experiences for me.

Park S.: I was honestly surprised to see that fans from so many different countries are showing interest and support for us, even more than I had expected. Recently, I happened to look through the comments on the PUSH BACK music video again, and I saw so many supportive messages written in different languages from fans around the world. The love and encouragement we receive from those fans really gives us strength and motivates us to keep working even harder. We’re always incredibly grateful for that support. 

How do you hope IDID stands out in the current K-pop landscape?

Kim: Rather than staying within a fixed image or framework, IDID wants to be a group that freely creates new things together with WITHID. We also don’t want to be seen as idols who only look cool on stage, we want to be remembered as a friendly and approachable group that people feel comfortable with and want to have fun alongside. 

Chu: I think what IDID wants to show the most is our honest energy and teamwork, the kind of energy that can make even the people watching us genuinely have fun together with us. Through that, we hope to become a group that stays in people’s memories for a long time.

Baek: What makes IDID stand out the most is each member’s individuality. Every member has their own distinct charm, personality, and vibe, and I think that uniqueness is one of our biggest strengths as a group. Moving forward, we want to become a team where fans can instantly recognize who’s singing just by listening to our music, because each member’s color and identity are so clear and distinctive. 

Jeong: I want people to see that every single member of IDID has their own unique charm, and that all of us are ambitious, passionate, and fully prepared to keep growing and showing more in the future.

What goals do you hope to achieve with this comeback? 

Jang: Our goal for this comeback is for each and every member of IDID to leave a strong and lasting impression on people. We want to fully show the unique charms and individuality that each of us has, and hopefully stay in people’s memories long after they’ve seen us.

Kim: To show both the company and the public that IDID is a group with limitless potential, a team capable of taking on and achieving anything. I hope this promotion helps people truly recognize our value and possibilities as a group.

Park W.: The freedom. I want to truly enjoy the stage freely together with the members. During our previous performances, there were a lot of things we had to focus on and many challenges we faced, but we worked hard, practiced even harder, and grew through those experiences. Because of that, I hope we can show a much more confident, relaxed, and natural performance this time around.

Chu: I want to show that IDID’s music and performances have grown even more. As I mentioned earlier, we still have the same passion and excitement we had at debut, but now we’ve also gained more experience and confidence along the way. Because of that, we hope to leave an even stronger impression of IDID’s unique color and energy through this comeback.

Park S.: More than ever with this comeback, we want to really connect and exchange energy with our fans on stage. Whenever we hear the fan chants and cheers during a performance, it gives us even more strength and helps us become even more immersed in the stage. We spent a lot of time thinking about how we could deliver our energy to fans in the most vivid and genuine way possible, and we practiced with that in mind throughout this comeback preparation. That’s why we’re especially excited for this time. 

Baek: Through this comeback, I hope IDID can establish itself as the next-generation boy group representing Starship Entertainment. My goal is for even more people to get to know our team, and for IDID to become one of the first groups that comes to mind when people think of Starship and 5th-generation boy groups.

Jeong: I want to show a different side of IDID, a freer and more natural kind of charm compared to what we’ve shown before. I also hope to prove that no matter what concept we take on, we can make it our own and express it with IDID’s unique color and style. Most of all, I hope this comeback helps even more people get to know the name IDID.

TEAM CREDITS:

photography STARSHIP ENTERTAINMENT