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Writer's pictureGabriella Ratnarajah

Jessi's "Gum": A Flavorful Hit and Her Resounding Impact on K-Pop


Gum Music Video still

Queen Jessi is back with popping beats and bubblegum treats in her new song "Gum"! With the release of her new single "Gum" Jessi continues to step outside the K-pop box and present not only her unique style but a sense of freedom in unapologetically being herself! "Gum" was released on 25th October, 2023. If you haven't seen or heard it yet, check it out below:


"Gum" Music Video


"Gum"


"Gum" Teaser Picture

In her own words about "Gum" Jessi says "the people who get it, get it." (Jessi, NME) This isn't the first time Jessi has stepped outside the boundaries of the K-Pop world. It's definitely part of her brand to be confident, sexy, provocarive and just "Jessilicious"! In her interview with NME, she said that her lyrics are generally PG but usually have a double meaning to it. This is what she said about it:


“If you listen to all my music, there’s double meanings in every song, it’s just not in your face. I’m not that type. I’ll keep the lyrics very PG, very ear-friendly, but there’s a lot of subliminal messages in there. If you listen to ‘Gum, gum, gum’, it sounds like a different word. The way I spelt the G for ‘Gum’, it doesn’t look like ‘gum’ at first glance. If you watch the video, like I said, there’s a lot of moments where you see me showing the actions. I know the people who get it, get it. But if you sum it down, ‘Gum’ pretty much just means that we all have different flavours.” (NME)

You can check out the full interview article HERE.

How Jessi Impacts and Stands Out in the K-pop Industry

"Gum" Music Video still

It's pretty obvious Jessi stands out when it comes to the K-Pop world. As we know most of Jessi's songs portray a strong and seductive feminine power, which wasn't so common in the K-Pop world. Jessi has a very charismatic personality, her vocals and rapping are more out there than the usual reserved image that we see from many K-Pop idols. Jessi is not afraid to speak her mind and also bring up topics that can be uncomfortable or challenging (just like us) in the industry. Sex, relationships, and smoking are all topics Jessi has previously brought up and despite a shy response from idols, she remains confident and does so in an entertaining and light hearted way.


Recently Jessi has made comments in support of creating gender equality in the industry.


Jessi at the WaterBomb Festival (AllKPop)

For more context check out the article HERE.


"Everyone, sexy doesn't mean wearing sexy clothes like this. I wore those outfits in Korea for the water bomb festival. I can't wear these to a university festival. But the water bomb festival is perfect (for these outfits). That's why I wore them."
"Men are...okay. Here's the thing. How come men can go shirtless? And show their nipples? Why can men do that but not women? Why can't women dress like this? It's the same thing. So I was like 'Whatever' and wore them. But that's only for the stage. I don't dress like this normally." (AllKpop)

It's true, there are a lot of things in everyday life that men do and women "aren't allowed" to, and if they do it it becomes a big problem, but men can do it so casually! We agree with Jessi!


Peer Response to "Gum"


If you've been on social media you've probably seen the countless, countless videos of idols performing the "Gum" dance alongside Jessi. Some idols added a little extra junk to their trunk to match her! Which one was your favourite?


NCT's Taeyong dances with Jessi to "Gum"


Milli dances with Jessi to "Gum"


Rain dances with Jessi to "Gum"


SHINee's KEY dances with Jessi to "Gum"


HyunA dances with Jessi to "Gum"


TXT's Yeonjun dances with Jessi to "Gum"


Members of WayV dance with Jessi to "Gum"


NCT's Mark and Johnny dance with Jessi to "Gum" check the junk!


TXT's Soobin and Yeonjun dance with Jessi to "Gum"


These are just a few there are more! I feel like a lot of idols really enjoyed the opportunity to twerk and for good reason! The song is catchy and fun, you can see this clearly in their expressions and the energy they put into the dance!


Jessi continues to shine in the K-Pop industry and rightly so. We stand with Jessi as she fights for what's right and breaks the mold of K-Pop! What did you think about "Gum"? And what do you think about Jessi challenging the industry? Comment below!


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