Tag: IVE

IVE is officially back with their new second studio album, REVIVE+, featuring their latest title track BLACKHOLE. Also from the studio album is the group’s pre-release track from a few weeks ago, BANG BANG.

To me, the best part of BLACKHOLE is its dramatic flair. It takes a few seconds to really land. But once it does reach the pinnacle of that power, the track is at its best and is a force to be reckoned with. The synth work in BLACKHOLE, particularly during the final chorus, was commendable. It also held its ground during the moments where BLACKHOLE wasn’t reliant on being dramatic and powerful. The same could be said about the vocals and rapping, though I will admit that it took a few more listens for me to warm up to the members’ delivery. What I am most hung up on with BLACKHOLE is the lack of a strong melodic material or hook to remember the song by. Take away the instrumental, and I am not convinced BLACKHOLE has much to stand on. But as a whole piece with all the elements together as it should be, BLACKHOLE is a bold and intense song that is quite memorable.

Like the song, the music video is quite a statement piece in terms of visuals. Their company has gone all out, probably to match the powerful nature and boldness of the song, setting parts of the video in a stadium and filming the members at new heights (i.e., the Sky Bridge at the Lotte World Tower). Even the shots indoors looked amazing. The members’ visuals and outfits were also stunning.

Once again, IVE impresses with their performance. The routine really keeps up with the momentum of the song without a hitch and the members do a great job at executing the performance. Not sure if the tables/extra stage will be a feature on the music shows, but I liked how it gave some extra height and dimension to the performance. The part with LIZ walking on top and the dancer sliding the bottom was iconic. Similarly, the routine alongside the bridge was also a moment to enjoy.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10

Ahead of their upcoming comeback with their second studio album, Revive+, later this month, IVE pre-released the new single BANG BANG yesterday. BANG BANG attempts to join a list of successful pre-release singles in IVE’s repertoire, like Kitsch, Either Way, Off The Record and last year’s REBEL HEART.

Previously, I noted that I haven’t been a big fan of IVE’s songs that have taken an edgy route. Though I think I am warming up this sound profile from IVE, given that I did (and still do) enjoy Accendio and TKO. And while I didn’t review XOXZ favourably at first, the song has grown on me a bit since then. The only outlier appears to be 2023’s Baddie. BANG BANG joins the list of edgy songs I like from IVE. And in my books, it also joins the list of the group’s successful pre-releases. BANG BANG‘s attempt at edginess feels quite sophisticated and sleek. It is also quite fun, with the old Western influences adding some intriguing flair to the song. The club beat and bass make the track hit hard and drive it forward. I do think BANG BANG could have done with less clanginess. It feels the void during some parts, but it just makes BANG BANG feel, well, unnecessarily clangy and clunky. Vocally, IVE does well in the song. But the true shiners in BANG BANG are the rappers, REI and GAEUL. Their part in the second verse was very impressive, with REI getting a chance to show off her rapping and GAEUL following through without disrupting the song’s flow.

Based on the music video, the members appear to be outlaws, as indicated by the wanted posters. But instead of going into hiding or living in fear of being caught, IVE is very much out and about, living life boldly and without concern. At one point in the video, the members were practically dancing behind a police officer without a care in the world or fear of being caught. Though I am not sure what to think about the floating train – no theories there. As usual, the members look fantastic, with their visuals on full display (see the featured image as evidence).

From the members’ sensual moves to the more upbeat chorus, this routine definitely delivers impact and intensity. But the defining moment of the choreography is when LEESEO is front and centre, and the dance leans to the left in a rolling motion. Very cool, and again, super impactful.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.2/10

IVE made their return at the start of the week with their 4th mini-album, IVE SECRET, and the lead single XOXZ. It is their first overall release since their July Japanese comeback with Be Alright and their first Korean comeback since their 3rd mini-album IVE Empathy, which featured singles REBEL HEART and ATTITUDE.

Except for last year’s Accendio and TKO from their previous mini-album, whenever IVE has promoted a song with an edgier and darker style, it has been a miss for me. The new single XOXZ appears to follow that trend. The choruses were the biggest miss in the entire song, in my opinion. It was very dry and lacklustre. There was some good to be found in the chorus, such as the dramatic flair in the instrumental and the whispery delivery of the XOXZ title. However, somehow, putting all of that together just didn’t have the desired impact and created a fizzler of a centrepiece. The fast-spoken lines should have been an intriguing component, but the execution just didn’t stick with me and was easily overlooked. A similar comment can be applied to most of the song. However, it isn’t all bad news for XOXZ. I really liked the ethereal pre-choruses. It is just a pity that the follow-through (i.e., the chorus) was a let-down.

The music video for XOXZ unfolds as a dream, starting with a truck crashing through the window of a high-rise apartment. This is then followed by the dream version of IVE taking the sleeping member on a journey of her dreams. I really liked IVE’s edgy looks throughout the music video, and I feel elements of the video call back to IVE’s Accendio‘s music video (i.e., the goat horns). The only aspect of the video I didn’t like was the dings that start to appear during the bridge portion and in the ending card. It just made the video feel overly cheesy.

The performance aspect of the comeback was pretty good. Nothing stood out on its own, but rather the choreography (as a whole) did a decent job of encapsulating those edgy tones from the song. I also enjoyed the balance between the members’ cuteness and power in the routine.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7/10

In my review for REBEL HEART, I mentioned my plan to review the second title track from their 3rd mini-album (IVE EMPATHY) soon. Well, ‘soon’ has arrived. The second song is titled ATTITUDE, and it dropped with the rest of the mini-album on Monday this week.

My first impression of ATTITUDE was that it could have used a little more sass or attitude. There are definitely moments in ATTITUDE that give off this tone and energy, like the song’s main hook (sampled from Suzanne Vega and DNA’s Tom’s Diner and the rapping in the second verse. But I wished ATTITUDE went further, as it would have given the song more oomph and further impact. Elsewhere in the song, I enjoyed the instrumental’s dance beat and funky disco undertones. I liked the idea of the ascending notes in the final lines of the pre-choruses – breaking the note was a good idea. I also appreciated them in the choruses, even if it did get slightly unpleasant. On the topic of the choruses, they had good flow and melodies, but the vocals were plain to me. The most questionable element of ATTITUDE was the bridge. I agree ATTITUDE needed a change-up, but I wonder if a relatively toneless shouty delivery was the best way to go about it. Overall, ATTITUDE was a decent song. It is not as strong as their best tracks, but still worth a listen.

Based on the lyrics, the music video shows the members as inhabitants of the ‘Loveless society’. But they know that their time in this location is short. I like the confidence they exude, particularly in contrast to the other inhabitants of the society. Their outfits and styling were very pretty, showcasing their beautiful looks. I also like how the members do their own thing rather than following the norm. Overall, a great video to watch.

Like the song, I felt the choreography could have used more sass and attitude. There were a lot of bright smiles and moves, which was all great. I wished there was more balance with some other sides of the group they have shown before in the routine. For example, when YUJIN stood on top of those desks in the music video. That would have taken the choreography to the next level and worked well with the message behind ATTITUDE.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.3/10

Apologies for the lack of reviews this week. Jet lag caught up with me and work got me tired.

One of the releases that came out while I was on vacation was IVE’s single REBEL HEART. It serves as one of the title tracks for their (at the time) upcoming 3rd mini-album IVE Empathy. As of Monday this week, the second title track, ATTITUDE, and the mini-album itself were released. A review for ATTITUDE will be posted soon. IVE Empathy follows from their IVE SWITCH mini-album and HEYA/Accendio comeback in April last year.

I remember listening to REBEL HEART while on vacation and thinking it was a great song, minus one part. REBEL HEART begins with a rock tinge instrumental that develops into a bombastic sound that reminds me of their I AM single from 2 years ago. I like how the members channel and complement the rock sound, sometimes almost turning the song into an anthem. I do acknowledge the chorus is repetitive, but it is also very simple and catchy. The “So you can love me, You will never be never be never me…” definitely makes for an addictive hook. REBEL HEART does falter when it comes to the “Na Na Na” part in the bridge. This moment turned a strong and empowering song into something childish. At least, WONYOUNG and LIZ’s vocal follow-up picked REBEL HEART back up and made the song slightly mature again. Overall, REBEL HEART is a strong first release from IVE Empathy. This makes me excited for their now-released second track, ATTITUDE.

The music video for REBEL HEART features the members rebelling against society but staying true to themselves. After all, they are ‘rebels in their hearts’, and the song’s lyrics express solidarity with those who rebel. The group and ‘friends supporting friends’ scenes reflected the latter message. GAEUL and LIZ were probably the easiest rebels to spot in the video. GAEUL opted for activities like graffiti and hanging out in abandoned buildings. LIZ didn’t attend school on school days and was seen walking in the opposite direction of her peers. The other members’ portrayal of rebels was a little more subtle. REI wore an outfit that made her standout in public. WONYOUNG was an unhappy bride, while YUJIN took part in activities that did not fit the stereotype for her gender. The hardest to make out was LIZ’s portrayal of a rebel, who I guess is representing those who want to make a living through social media rather than other ‘typical’ jobs.

The choreography for REBEL HEART was good. I don’t mind the routine we got. But it could have gone for something punchier, as some moves didn’t fit the song’s rock vibe. It felt more focused on being youthful and pretty than taking advantage of that rock sound.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10

IVE’s latest mini-album, IVE SWITCH (which was released at the very end of April), features two title tracks – HEYA and Accendio. I have already reviewed HEYA on the day of its release, while Accendio only became eligible for a review once IVE unveiled the music video for the song earlier this week.

I quite like Accendio, as it shows off a more mature sound for IVE. There is also this mysteriousness to the song that attracts my attention. This can be attributed to the paced beat of Accendio, which actively contributes to that mystique that I just mentioned and helps build some intensity in the song. But it also feels like a double-edged sword. It sets Accendio up to be somewhat neutral, which is never a good observation to make in an exciting music genre like KPOP. I kind of wished Accendio really picked up along the way and there was some infusion of oomph to the song. I do hear an addition of energy to the song via the pre-choruses and choruses of Accendio, which I am grateful for. But while this addition of energy was good in the first instance, it didn’t have the same effect when the song revisited the same motif again. Similarly, the instrumental break could have used some added zing (perhaps something more electrifying) to add further excitement to the song. While the backing of Accendio lacked in some regards, I am extremely happy with the choruses. I personally felt the central piece of Accendio had a killer start through a really simple yet addictive “Watch me, Don’t touch me, Love me, Don’t hurt me” chant and some attitude-laced catwalk-like backing. This made the chorus stand out and feel very catchy to me. So much so, I find myself humming along with the song and after the song ends. That particular line in the chorus was nailed thanks to the members’ rap-speak delivery, which we do hear at other times in Accendio. To me, this delivery felt more prolific and interesting than the other vocals we get in the song. Overall, I quite liked Accendio. It is far from perfect, but it allowed IVE to explore something slightly different.

I personally felt the music video for this comeback also had an air of mystery to it, which made it intriguing to watch. The plot of this video also adds to the intriguingness. Gaeul stars as the main character of the video. While the rest of IVE were underwater, Gaeul disappears, causing alarm amongst the other members. Turns out Gaeul had run away and came across a ritualistic group (another version of IVE – henceforth calling them evil IVE) and a magic wand. Gaeul steals the wand and brings it back to her members. Unknowingly to Gaeul, evil IVE were watching Gaeul make her way back to her members. The magic wand gives Sailor Moon-like magic powers to good IVE, who are provided a mission to protect the magic wand to keep their powers permanently. Evil IVE tracks down the wand and have a dance battle with good IVE for the wand. While it isn’t an action packed set of scenes like Mission Impossible, the subsequent battle scene (not the dance battle scene) was nicely choreographed to showcase a fight between the two versions of IVE played out to gain or protect the wand. During the battle, Gaeul had hid the wand in the fridge. Once the evil IVE were defeated, good IVE went to retrieve the wand from the fridge but found it empty. Turns out, the wand somehow found its way to a beach and picked up a young girl. And good IVE were watching this happen, implying they have become the new evil IVE, who were going to fight a young girl for the wand. Personally, I felt the ending a little awkward and wondered why a different version of IVE (or perhaps even an older girl) picked up the wand. Setting up the next battle between IVE and a young girl is a bit harsh for the latter.

The choreography looks good. I liked the chorus routine, particularly the moves they did with that chanty line identified above. I just cannot help but think that this isn’t their strongest routine. It was cohesive as a whole piece, but nothing really stood out in my opinion.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8.1/10

As mentioned yesterday, this week is going to be a busy one. And it all begins with Monday’s comebacks. One of these comebacks belongs to IVE, who is returning for the first time since the release of Baddie. Their new single HEYA (해야) is the title track off their 2nd mini-album, Ive Switch.

HEYA continues IVE’s exploration of the hip-hop genre. However, unlike Baddie, I instantly found IVE’s delivery of HEYA to feel a lot more vivid, exciting and colourful. These are all words that I associate with IVE’s earlier releases, so I personally think this is an improvement from Baddie already. HEYA may not be as pop-coded as their earlier releases, but it definitely heads in that direction a bit. So aside from feeling different, what has the group done differently in HEYA? I like that the instrumentation did not feel as weighted, and so HEYA did not feel heavy. Going into Summer, a heavy song doesn’t usually bode well, so the producers were really clever in using flourishes in its percussion to help liven up the backing. Rei, Leeseo and Yujin’s rapping in the verses feels equally as lively and engaging, bringing out a more dynamic tone in HEYA. This pays off in dividends for the group, as it highlights a newfound edginess and powerful delivery. HEYA also features more vocal parts, which makes way for more melodic touches in the song. The bridge was extremely successful in championing this (which is my second best moment within HEYA, following the choruses). I also like how they extended the melodic touch into the opening hook of HEYA, setting up the catchy and chanty chorus quite well. The extra layer in the instrumentation for the final chorus did a really good job of signaling the end, in my mind. Overall, IVE and HEYA‘s producers did a really great job improving upon the previous song, making for IVE’s next hit.

The lyrics and music video of HEYA sees the group reference a traditional Korean folklore known as ‘The Tiger Who Loved the Sun‘, which is a story that speaks to the formation of the sun and the moon. In the video, we see the members appear as the tiger in the story, dancing in front of the sun and moon to enchant us, before leaving their mark on us. Just like how the tiger did so to the mother, just a lot less gruesome in our case. Keeping to the traditional influence, I really like traditional Korean elements in the sets and post-production. The colours and lighting made everything look very pretty and aesthetic. I also really like IVE’s look throughout the music video, as it adds a bit of a modern flair in the midst of all of the traditional Korean elements present in the video.

From what I can see in the music video, the performance for this comeback is going to look great. The start of the chorus already looks like it is going to be a catchy key point of the choreography, and the rest of the routine looks robust and dynamic.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9/10

IVE is one of the many groups and music acts that made their comeback this busy week in October. The popular female group returns with their 1st ever mini-album I’ve Mine and the title track Baddie yesterday, following two pre-release tracks – Either Way and Off The Record (both of which I reviewed earlier this week). This comeback follows on from the group’s promotions of I AM and their first studio album, I’ve IVE.

IVE has been successful with pop numbers since their debut, so I am unsure why they needed to stray from it. To me, their pop songs have been comforting and likeable, but also punchy and catchy. Sure, IVE can definitely explore other genres if they want, but the producers should ensure the song is fit for IVE. Baddie takes on a hip-hop style that I believe doesn’t suit IVE. When I listen to the song, I don’t get any sense of character or individuality from Baddie, and their delivery feels pretty generic overall. Sure, Baddie is successful in showing an edgier side of the group via the instrumentation. The instrumental break serves as a good example of this and is probably the most dynamic aspect of Baddie. The pelting synth in the post-chorus hook was also an interesting and bold addition to the instrumental, and another good example of edginess. And I am pretty satisfied with the vocal centric pre-chorus (however, I would have liked it more if the second pre-chorus wasn’t cut short). But everything else, from the vocals and rapping elsewhere in Baddie, to the chorus, to the hooks etc. all sound bland and uneventful. ‘Stuck in neutral gear’ is how I would describe Baddie. Honestly, I am not even sure if there is potential for Baddie to grow on me with even more listens. And that says a lot to me.

The music video is an odd one, given its concept. Essentially, IVE is causing havoc in the world for being “cat humans”. They supposedly cause all sorts of trouble, attract attention in public and scare people off. What is interesting is that at night, they come together to carry out some kind of ritual that awakens bigger cats. I would have liked to see more of the havoc, trouble and these bigger cats that they awaken throughout the video, as I think there could have been a decent story in all of this. But as the video is only 2:48 minutes long, the producers have to gloss over the details to fit it all in such a short time frame. A more profound edginess to the video wouldn’t have hurt and could have boosted that intention in the song as well.

The performance aspect of the comeback was okay. It isn’t a resounding yes from me, but it suffices. The performance does focus more on looking good, rather than showcasing anything edgy, which I think the song does calls for. I did particularly like Wonyoung’s change of expression and moves during her “I’m thriller, so villain” line. That was pretty cool highlight.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6.5/10