i-dle leader SOYEON is officially entering a new chapter of her solo career. On her 28th birthday, August 25, 2026, the singer and producer announced her first full-length solo album, titled [끝내주는 인생], translated as Awesome Life, with the project set to arrive September 7.
The announcement was accompanied by an intro film on YouTube that looks back at SOYEON’s journey from childhood through her rise as one of K-pop’s most prominent self-producing artists. Featuring home videos, childhood dance footage and career highlights, the film places particular emphasis on her perseverance, including her experience on Produce 101, where she performed strongly but initially fell short of making the final debut lineup.
Awesome Life will be released on September 7, 2026, at 6 p.m. KST, marking SOYEON’s first full solo album and her most substantial solo statement since her 2021 debut EP Windy. The record arrives after years in which she has balanced her work as i-dle’s leader with an increasingly influential role as a songwriter, rapper and producer.
The album announcement follows the release of “Star” just two days earlier. The high-energy track marked SOYEON’s first solo music in five years, offering the first clear preview of the creative direction surrounding her upcoming project.
Built around retro synthesizers, crisp percussion and a driving synth bassline, “Star” moves between rhythmic rap verses and bright vocal hooks. Its accompanying video leans heavily into Y2K aesthetics, using hazy city scenes, neon-lit streets, graffiti-covered locations, VHS glitches and 4:3 framing to create a deliberately nostalgic visual identity.
For SOYEON, the solo return represents a significant continuation of the creative path established with Windy, which was released in July 2021. Since then, she has remained central to i-dle’s musical identity, writing and producing major hits including “TOMBOY,” “Nxde” and “Queencard,” while also expanding her work outside the group.
Her production credits and songwriting career have continued to grow, including collaborations with artists such as Anderson .Paak. SOYEON has also developed material under her producer alias Icebluerabbit and became a full member of the Korea Music Copyright Association, further cementing her reputation as one of K-pop’s hands-on creators.
The rollout for Awesome Life began taking shape before the album announcement, with SOYEON teasing “Star” during her appearance at Waterbomb Sokcho earlier in August.
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