For this note, I purposely chose a topic that is very hot among Chinese women in Gen Z – K-POP – as my entry point for exploring body image. In particular, by analysing (G)I-dle’s song “Nxde”, I would like to understand with you its unique interpretation and influence on body image.
K-POP was chosen as the topic of this discussion because it is not only hugely influential globally, but is also particularly popular among China’s Generation Z female population. Through such a cultural phenomenon that is closely related to them, I hope to more effectively provoke new thinking about body image.
(G)I-dle’s ‘Nxde’: more than just music
After its release in October last year, (G)I-dle’s single ‘Nxde’ sparked a huge amount of attention and discussion on social media. More than just music, the song is a powerful challenge and deconstruction of feminism and body image.
Lyrics: Redefining “Nude”
In the lyrics, the lines “Now I draw a luxury nude/Why you think that about nude?/’Cause your view’s so rude/I’m born nude” directly question society’s perception of “nude”. These lines directly challenge the social stereotype of “nude”, which is often associated with “indecency” and “sluttiness”.
Here, the lyrics not only challenge this view, but also emphasise that everyone comes into the world in their purest and truest form, raising a very thought-provoking question: what do we need to hide?
Costume design: a new take on female power
In terms of styling, the members of (G)I-dle have reinterpreted and innovated the classic looks of female icons such as Marilyn Monroe and Madonna, showcasing the multiple identities and strengths of modern women.
Netflix effect: beyond Buzzword
The song’s impact on social media has also been extraordinary. Searching for “Nxde” not only led to positive messages about the song, but also led to a deeper social discussion that redefined the word “nude” and gave it more cultural and social connotations.
Summing up: new interpretations of body image
(G)I-dle’s “Nxde” is not just a song or a pop culture phenomenon, it is also a force that encourages women to re-examine and accept their own bodies. For young women in GEN Z, such a message is especially important and timely. I hope Chinese women of Generation Z will be inspired by it and be brave enough to show their truest and most beautiful sides.
After posting this note, I also got feedback from a girl born in 1999 who is working in Beijing. She felt very healed after reading this note, and this healing came from the fact that she found the same soul on the Internet. She said she loved the song and it was the first time she had seen someone on social media analyse it through the lens of body image and GIRL POWER. This allows her to be more convinced that there are people promoting this concept of positive and healthy body image in today’s society. She hopes that more articles like this one will appear on the internet to influence people.
For me, posting this note was an experiment. Because the content of the first four notes was relatively more academic in concept, I got some feedback that some of them couldn’t understand the content. So I just hoped that I could catch their attention by being more relevant to the topic of Generation Z. to go and influence them.
References:
- Marilyn Monroe: The Woman behind the Myth. Donald Spoto. HarperCollins, 1993.
- Madonna: An Intimate Biography of an Icon at Sixty. J. Randy Taraborrelli. Sidgwick & Jackson, 2018.