Weki Meki Cool Evolution: Breaking Down the New Rules Era

Weki Meki's "Cool" marked a significant milestone for the South Korean girl group when they released their fourth EP "New Rules" on October 8, 2020. The highly-rated album, which earned an impressive 8.4/10 from critics, debuted at number 13 on the Gaon Album Chart. This comeback featured two distinct physical versions—"Take" and "Break"—giving fans multiple collecting options.

Additionally, the "New Rules" EP showcased the group's musical versatility through its five-track lineup. The mini-album featured the title track "Cool" alongside its English version "100 Facts" (3:45) and three other new songs: "Sweet Dreams" (3:32), "D-Day" (2:49), and the emotional "Just Us (우리라는 이유)" (3:23). Furthermore, the album proved commercially successful, becoming the 34th best-selling album in October 2020 with 9,421 copies sold.

The Comeback Timeline: How 'New Rules' Unfolded

After a four-month hiatus following their "Oopsy" promotions, Weki Meki began teasing their musical return in September 2020. The group's comeback journey officially started on September 21, 2020, when Fantagio Music announced that Weki Meki would be releasing their fourth mini-album titled "New Rules".

Announcement and teaser schedule

Initially, on September 23, the agency revealed the complete comeback schedule, outlining what fans could expect in the weeks leading up to the October 8 release. This timeline strategically built anticipation with a steady stream of content. The announcement highlighted that "New Rules" would represent a significant shift for the group, containing the message of "breaking down the existing rules and writing down Weki Meki's own new rules".

Concept photos: 'Take' vs 'Break' versions

Subsequently, Fantagio unveiled two contrasting concept versions for the album. The "Break" and "Take" versions showcased the members' versatility through distinct visual themes. In particular, the "Break" concept photos were released first, followed by the "Take" version. Both versions demonstrated the members' duality - with the girls pulling off contrasting looks quite effortlessly, exhibiting both elegant and refreshing vibes while showcasing their "undenied beauty". These fashionable appearances helped establish the visual direction for the comeback.

Highlight medley and MV teasers

On September 30, Weki Meki released the highlight medley video, offering the first audio preview of all five tracks. The clip featured a creative video call setting showing various moments from the members' practice sessions, stage performances, and casual fun moments. Following this, the group released two music video teasers for "Cool" on October 4 and October 6 respectively. These teasers effectively built excitement by hinting at "a powerful performance and intriguing new sound" while showcasing the members' "magnetic visuals". The strategic release of these visual and audio previews culminated in the official album release on October 8.

Inside the 'Cool' Era: Themes and Visual Identity

With the release of "Cool," Weki Meki embraced a bold new aesthetic that marked a significant shift in their visual identity. The group, previously known for experimenting with various concepts, found a cohesive and distinctive style that perfectly complemented their musical evolution.

Weki Meki Cool MV: A new visual direction

The "Cool" music video presented a striking minimalist approach combined with glamorous elements. Notably, the MV featured two primary dance settings—a sleek black set with the members in white jumpsuits and an elegant marble background that exuded sophistication. This visual direction included symbolic scenes with mannequins dressed in black, representing the "boring rules" the group was breaking free from. As the narrative progressed, the members walked past these mannequins in colorful outfits, symbolizing their self-expression and rebellion against conformity.

Weki Meki Cool outfits and styling

The styling for "Cool" perfectly matched the song's confident attitude through several distinctive looks. Most memorable were the various boiler suit designs—traditionally associated with mechanics and laborers—which the group transformed into fashionable statement pieces. These included black pinstripe outfits, clean white ensembles with hanging belts and unique zipper layouts, brown outfits (with leader Suyeon sporting military shoulder braids), and burgundy versions with silver accents resembling army uniforms. Beyond the boiler suits, other performance outfits included a "yakuza crew" concept with leopard print, Sei's tan pants with black top that highlighted her stage presence, and a leather-themed collection ranging from biker looks to business casual styles.

Concept evolution from previous albums

"Cool" represented a significant maturation in Weki Meki's artistic direction. Though the group had previously been associated with the "teen crush" concept—combining bright teenage cheeriness with chic confidence—"Cool" leaned more decisively toward a powerful, self-assured image. This shift followed a natural progression from their earlier works: their debut "I Don't Like Your Girlfriend" featured a hybrid of street and colorful concepts, 2019's "Picky Picky" established a balanced rebellious high school theme, and 2020's "OOPSY" introduced a glittery, glamorous side. "Cool" consequently completed this evolution by embracing a darker, more mature aesthetic while maintaining the group's distinctive energy.

Track Breakdown: Exploring the Sound of 'New Rules'

Weki Meki's "New Rules" EP delivered a diverse soundscape across its five tracks, each showcasing different facets of the group's musical versatility and vocal abilities.

Cool – The title track

"Cool" emerged as Weki Meki's bold statement piece, characterized by a throbbing club beat and dulled electronics that created both exciting and aloof vibes. The track employed a pounding bassline reminiscent of ITZY's hits while maintaining its own distinct identity. Notably, "Cool" featured rap-heavy verses that felt more like spoken word, riding the groove with a confident attitude. The song's two-part chorus combined a spoken word chant-along with a more melodic refrain, making it instantly memorable. Critics praised the song for its sleek edge that revitalized Weki Meki's sound, with many rating it around 9/10.

Sweet Dreams – A whimsical twist

"Sweet Dreams" offered a surprising departure with its mystical, almost Halloween-appropriate atmosphere. The track utilized unique instrumental elements that evoked a music box quality without incorporating actual music box samples. Despite each section differing slightly from one another, the song maintained remarkable cohesion throughout its 3:32 runtime. The innocent yet playful vibe established a fantastical concept that contrasted effectively with the title track's edgier sound.

D-Day – Light pop with a steady rhythm

Surprisingly, despite its intense-sounding name, "D-Day" presented a light pop track with guitar-centric instrumentation. Running 2:49, this song showcased the group's vocal capabilities against a more stripped-down backdrop. Although some reviewers noted its consistent nature bordered on repetitive, the song's warmth and vulnerability created an intimate atmosphere that complemented the EP's overall flow.

Just Us – The emotional ballad

"Just Us" served as the album's emotional centerpiece, beginning with gentle piano orchestration before expanding into a sweet, vocally-focused ballad. The track highlighted Weki Meki's melodic strengths, particularly through standout moments like the high note during the bridge and the subsequent echo effect. The "La La La" section following the final chorus added a refreshing element while maintaining the song's tender atmosphere throughout its 3:23 duration.

100 Facts – English version of Cool

"100 Facts," the English counterpart to "Cool," featured significant differences beyond just translation. At 3:45, it ran 16 seconds longer than the Korean version and carried a distinctly different message. While "Cool" focused on breaking tired structures and rules, "100 Facts" shifted to describing an exhilarating party atmosphere. The title referenced "100 reasons why someone should attend an ongoing party," creating a separate identity from its Korean counterpart. Swedish artist Ylva Dimberg, who co-composed "Cool," also wrote the lyrics for this version.

Performance and Reception

The commercial performance of "New Rules" highlighted Weki Meki's consistent presence in the K-pop scene, even as they worked to establish a more distinct identity within the competitive girl group landscape.

Chart performance and sales

"New Rules" debuted at number 13 on the Gaon Album Chart for the week ending October 11, 2020, and remained in the Top 100 for five consecutive weeks. The EP secured the 34th position among October 2020's best-selling albums, moving 9,421 copies that month. By November 2020, total sales reached 12,207 copies. Comparatively, this placed "New Rules" as Weki Meki's fourth best-selling Korean album at that time, behind their debut "WEME" (49,476), "I AM ME." (17,366), and "HIDE and SEEK" (16,848).

The title track "Cool" specifically achieved significant recognition on international charts, peaking at #25 on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart. Moreover, the song's music video reached 10 million views in just five days, eventually becoming the group's most-viewed music video on YouTube with over 16 million views.

Fan reactions and reviews

Critics widely praised "Cool" for its mature sound and distinct identity. The song earned impressive ratings, including 8.75/10 from K-Bopped and 8.9/10 from KPopReviewed. Indeed, many reviewers considered it one of the group's strongest releases to date.

Billboard ranked "Cool" #5 on their list of 20 best K-pop songs of 2020, while Dazed placed it at #11 on their 40 best K-pop songs of 2020 list. One reviewer aptly described it as "one of their coolest songs yet," specifically highlighting the "minimalist vibes" of the choreography shots as "strong and powerful".

Impact on Weki Meki's discography

"Cool" established itself as a pivotal release in Weki Meki's musical journey. As one fan enthusiastically stated, "This might be my favorite Wacky Mechi song... it feels like I'm in paradise". Alongside SF9's "Now or Never" (2018) and KNK's "Sunset" (2019), critics positioned "Cool" as 2020's standout representative of the "dark club beat" concept.

The mini-album itself, although brief, earned praise for its cohesion, with reviewers noting that "every song stands on its own" – cementing this comeback as a significant moment in Weki Meki's artistic evolution.