“Nxde,” (G)I-DLE (2022). This song is frustrating. That’s because the English lyrics throughout are just so unsatisfying. In the very first line, Soyeon sings this:
“Why you think that ’bout nude?”
(1/11)
#KpopEnglishProject #GIDLE #Nxde #Neverland #kpop #kpep #lyrics
(2/11)
Why do you think that about nude? That is not a well-formed English sentence. And I’m not talking about the nonstandard grammar (“Why you think?”). I’m talking about the rest of it. Yes, “nude” can be a noun (we’ll get to that), but not like this, it can’t.
(3/11)
“Why do you think that about… me?” A question like that works. “Why do you think that about… sex?” That works. But “nude”—even if we interpret it as a noun—doesn’t work without a determiner, like “a” or “that” or “her.” Count nouns can’t occur all alone.
(4/11)
The song has just begun, and already the English feels rushed and clumsy. I don’t love my revision, but here it is:
> Why you hate me bein’ nude?
And this leads into the next line:
“’Cause your view’s so rude.”
The chorus is where I really feel like complaining:
(5/11)
“Yes I’m a nude
Nude 따따랏따라 [da-da-rat-da-ra]
Yes I’m a nude
Nude I don’t give a love”
So what’s my problem with THAT? Didn’t I say above that “nude” can’t work without a word like “a”? Doesn’t “a nude” work? Yes. Sometimes. Just not here.
(6/11)
As a noun, “nude” has one common meaning and one uncommon meaning. The common meaning of “nude” is “a painting or other representation of a nude person.” The uncommon meaning—which I’ve never seen in real life—is “a nude person.” That is the only possible read here.
(7/11)
And what would that line even mean, in that case? Would it mean, “Yes, I’m a nude person. Yes, I’m naked”? Is that what they’re saying? I don’t think so. Surely they’re singing about an attitude, a particular stance. Not just the fact of currently being without clothes.
(8/11)
(Someone who doesn’t care for clothes, someone who often lives without clothes, isn’t “a nude.” That person is “a nudist.”)
I should say, though, that the lyric as it’s sung really does sound like “I’m nude.” So maybe this point is moot.
What about that last line?
(9/11)
What is “I don’t give a love”? Is it supposed to evoke “I don’t give a shit (or a fuck)”? Or maybe the up-and-coming lyric “I don’t give a what”? Is it banking on the cynical substitution of “love” for “fuck”? I guess I just don’t get it.
Anyway, my suggestion:
(10/11)
> I’m a work of art
> (Nude 따따랏따라)
> Yes, a classic nude
> My image is not me
Or
> Underneath it all
> (Nude 따따랏따라)
> We’re all nude
> I don’t care about you
This could be a nice set-up of the ending: “I’m born nude / You’ve got a dirty mind.”
(11/11)
The MV:
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