I-DLE's YUQI is proving her global pull with her first solo single, "Motivation," drawing raves from leading international outlets and making noise on the charts.
Released Sept. 16, "Motivation" quickly captured the attention of the global press.
Forbes praised YUQI’s unapologetic confidence, noting that title track "M.O." leans into ’90s boom-bap hip-hop and channels the singer’s "fearless nature."
UK music magazine CLASH also applauded her candid, self-assured lyricism, saying it spotlights her strength as a singer-songwriter.
Italy’s Panorama went a step further, calling her solo turn "the inevitable culmination of a journey toward authenticity" and praising YUQI as a boundary-crossing artist carving her own path beyond simply performing.
The momentum shows up in the numbers, too: the single hit No. 1 on the Daily Digital Album Bestsellers charts on China’s QQ Music and Kugou Music right after release, while QQ Music also awarded it Gold certification.
In Korea, title track "M.O." reached No. 1 on Bugs’ real-time chart, and the music video climbed to No. 1 on YouTube’s "Most Viewed in 24 Hours."
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)