I Burn

On December 9, Newsen reported that (G)I-dle would be making a comeback in mid-January. Cube Entertainment confirmed the news, stating, "(G)I-dle is preparing for a comeback with goals for release in mid-January. Please look forward to their return."[6] On December 27, Cube released a visual film announcing their comeback through the official YouTube channel of the group.[7] The video features various elements of nature such as rain, fire, flowers, and butterflies.[7] On December 28, the group confirmed the album title in a post across all the group's social media accounts, and that I Burn would be released on January 11, 2021.[8] On December 31, (G)I-dle revealed the album's track-list on their social media.[9] On January 2, 2021, the concept preview video of the album was released.[10] On January 6, the group released the highlight medley for their new album.[11]

On January 11, the group held an online media showcase for the release of I Burn hosted by broadcaster Oh Jung-yeon, who appeared in I'm a Survivor with Yuqi.[12][13] During the showcase, Yuqi described the intro song "Hann (Alone in winter)" as a song that connects with the digital single "Hann (Alone)" and the title song "Hwaa". "It's similar to "Hann" but it gives a different feel to it."[12]

"I Burn as a 'novel' that begins with the image of a woman in the cold, her heart frozen in the bitter winter of a break-up. By confronting it, she melts the ice that traps her. The fire of acceptance enables the growth of new love in the form of a flower and the arrival of spring.

— (G)I-dle described the six tracks of I Burn, Teen Vogue[14]

Gab Ginsberg and Jason Lipshutz writing for Billboard describe "Dahlia" as "[a] riveting garden that is "Dahlia", where Miyeon, Minnie, Soojin, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua sing about a love that can't be tainted by outsider critics.[15] Oh Jung-yeon praised (G)I-dle for their songwriting and stated, "Listening to the explanation of the philosophy and emotions of the six members melted into each song, I suddenly wanted to call them 'teachers'."[16] Heran Mamo from Billboard, regarded the album as, "together musical arrangements and Eastern instrumentation to collect the pieces of a broken heart, as I burn describes the aftermath of a painful breakup through the motif of a blazing fire and the sequential triumph like a blooming flower."[17] Michele Mendez of Elite Daily affirmed that I Burn is "the breakup album everyone needs to hear because it's a reminder something beautiful can emerge from [the] darkness."[18] Writing for The Quietus online publication, Verónica A. Bastardo remarked: "A theatrical extended player, flooded with grandiloquent orchestral instrumentals mixed with pop structures and EDM drops, that explores in a metaphorical way the path of regaining happiness and strength after the separation from a loved one."[19]

According to Hanteo Chart, I Burn debuted at No. 1 on the daily album chart with 75,510 copies sold. This is higher by 19,147 copies compared to (G)I-dle's Dumdi Dumdi album released on August 3, 2020, which recorded 56,363 copies in first-day sales. The album also debuted at No.1 on Gaon Retail Album Chart with 59,086 copies sold.[20] On January 13, it was reported that the album charted on iTunes Top Album charts in 52 regions around the world, including the Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada, Russia, Brazil, Italy and Finland.[21][22] In Melon chart, (G)I-dle not only charted "Hwaa", but also all the songs from I Burn.[23] This is the first time that the group has made such achievement since its debut in 2018.[24]

On the chart issued January 10-16, 2021, I Burn debuted at number 3 on South Korea's Gaon Album Chart,[25] and Gaon Weekly Retail Album Chart.[26] It also scored their best one-week sales with 115,500 copies.[5] Moreover, all songs in the EP entered the Gaon Digital Chart.[27]

(G)I-dle released three album versions for I Burn. In "寒" version, under the keyword 'winter' the group showed a cold and lonely winter atmosphere wearing white dresses in a space full of antique props, lace fabrics, and lit candles.[32] In "花" version, under the keyword 'flower', the group showed in dresses with colourful patterns that contrast with the cold blue background.[33] In "火" version, under the keyword 'fire', the group shows their charms through shaking images that expressed as the fire is spreading while holding props reminiscent of a blazing flame in the pitch-black darkness and emit vivid light.[34] The EP has a sleeve, booklet, lyric paper, CD, CD package, mini-poster, postcard with message on the card, photo card, lucky card and sticker.[35][36]

The following tracklist was adapted from the official released track list image.[37]

• "HWAA" music video on YouTube
• I burn playlist on YouTube