It’s rare for boybands to write and produce their own music. It’s even rarer for any group to fully control their creative direction. Rarest of all is when girl groups not only write and produce their own songs but also take command of their group’s creative vision.
Right now, only one girl group is truly doing that: (G)I-DLE, led by Soyeon.
Soyeon has written, composed, and produced their last four title tracks, shaped their concepts, and directed the execution—down to the styling.
On the other hand, Huh Yunjin of LE SSERAFIM isn’t her group’s leader and isn’t steering their creative direction—at least not yet. But she has fought for the right to release her own music and has already put out three self-written singles (plus one pre-release during Weverse Con, where she was given her own stage). That’s a big step forward.
What Soyeon and Yunjin are doing is unprecedented. They aren’t just breaking stereotypes—they’re reshaping the environment of girl groups in K-pop itself.
SOYEON: SUBSTANCE, PROLIFIC OUTPUT, AND CONTROL
Soyeon has said her role as producer and songwriter for (G)I-DLE started almost by accident. Their debut was delayed because the agency couldn’t find the right track, so she decided to write one herself. It became their title track—and thank god it did.
Substance
One thing Soyeon consistently delivers is substance. Unlike the usual girl group themes of heartbreak, unrequited love, flexing money, or flaunting designer brands, she stretches the musical and lyrical spectrum.
Take Nxde: instead of deconstructing Marilyn Monroe’s sex symbol image, she reframed it. She highlighted sexuality while adding nuance, showing that a woman’s sensuality is not lesser than her intellect. It was a bold statement, layered into pop.
Prolific
She’s also prolific. From the dreamy fusion of Korean traditional sounds with R&B in Hwaa, to Broadway-inspired pop in Nxde, alt-pop rock in Tomboy, and dance-pop in Queencard, Soyeon has proven she can master multiple genres. And that’s just the title tracks—the b-sides expand the range even further. Most groups with entire think-tanks behind them don’t achieve that level of variety.
Control
And let’s not forget control. Soyeon doesn’t just write songs; she conceptualizes, develops, and leads every facet of execution. That includes albums, visuals, schedules, and promotion. Self-produced groups often struggle with quality, but (G)I-DLE’s sound, narrative, and visuals are consistently distinct and innovative.
If they wanted, (G)I-DLE could probably sell even more by jumping on the easy “girl crush” trend—empowerment anthems peppered with luxury brand shout-outs and buzzwords. But they don’t. And that choice alone sets them apart.
Historically, female idols like HyunA, Hwasa, Moonbyul, and Hyolyn gained control only in their solo careers, not within their groups. Brown Eyed Girls is perhaps the closest precedent, but their era didn’t allow for the same breadth. Soyeon is carving out something new entirely.
HUH YUNJIN: A DIFFERENT PATH TO CONTROL
Yunjin is approaching things differently. LE SSERAFIM’s concepts are still largely driven by Source Music and lean into the women-empowerment trend dominating K-pop. That doesn’t give her Soyeon-level control—but Yunjin has been carving out space for herself.
Building a Separate Identity
By releasing her own self-written, self-composed, and self-produced music, Yunjin is creating a dual identity: LE SSERAFIM’s Yunjin, and Yunjin the solo artist. Her solo tracks are tonally and thematically distinct from the group, making it natural for fans and media to treat them as separate artistic personalities.
It’s genius, really. She’s future-proofing her career by laying the groundwork for independence early. And she’s honing her skills—songwriting, production, live performance—while still under the group spotlight.
Her solo stage at Weverse Con was a defining moment. Performing alone forces an idol to command energy, presence, and vocal technique without the safety net of group dynamics. Yunjin proved she could handle it.
Rapid Growth
She’s also evolving quickly. Raise Your Glass was raw and unfiltered, while Love You Twice was more refined, blending rap, R&B, ballad, and pop within a single track. Her lyrics shifted from personal confession to storytelling, a skill that, if refined, could allow her to explore broader human experiences while keeping her authenticity.
Her unreleased track Blessing in Disguise already shows maturity—a strong hook, a polished chorus, and a bridge that lingers. She’s learning to craft the kind of standout moments that can translate to global success.
First Steps Toward Control
HYBE’s culture, influenced by Big Hit’s origins, is to give artists more freedom with solo work. IU may have blazed the trail for female idols as songwriter-producers, but Yunjin’s Western upbringing, fluency in English, and HYBE’s global infrastructure give her a unique edge. If Source Music evolves LE SSERAFIM’s sound and allows more creative input from its members, Yunjin could be at the forefront of pushing them into Western markets with authenticity.
Soyeon and Yunjin are rewriting the narrative of what it means to be a female idol—not just faces of a concept, but the architects of it.
WHY THIS MATTERS
This isn’t to say no female idols have ever created their own music. But Soyeon is doing it at a group level with full control, and Yunjin is showing a path toward autonomy while still inside an agency system. Both are rare—and both are high-quality.
What’s funny is that I’m not even a diehard fan of either. Soyeon’s music isn’t my style, and I’m only a casual Yunjin listener. But I respect them deeply. Soyeon for her genius and iron grip on (G)I-DLE’s narrative. Yunjin for her vision, growth, and raw potential.
If they succeed, they could redefine what it means to be a female idol in K-pop. Right now, girl groups are still often judged on “swag,” flashy MVs, and luxury endorsements. But Soyeon and Yunjin could shift the focus toward actual artistry—songwriting, vision, and control.
They remind us of something obvious but often ignored: women in K-pop aren’t just performers, brand faces, or visual spectacles. They’re artists with depth, pain, beauty, and perspective that can shape the industry if given the chance.
And these two? They’re already proving it.
