#after-like — Public Fediverse posts

IVE Deep Dive #2/2: Who Are These It Girls, ‘Off The Record’?

Here are my credentials (again!): Like many people, I first learned about IVE through Wonyoung, who it’s not an exaggeration to call one of Kpop’s most prominent faces, for endorsements, crazy fangirling, and criticism alike. I remember when they debuted in 2021, but I’d say I really became aware of them when Love Dive came out the next year. This is actually the second review I’ve written about IVE. I wrote the first one in April of 2024, and while I’ve updated it since then, I felt like it was time to completely redo it. (Full disclosure, my first review about them wasn’t too positive, but my opinion’s softened a little with time) The main reason I’m doing this now is because IVE are going to be in my area soon during their upcoming tour, and I’m considering going. So, let’s get into it!

(Read Part One here)

EP #2: IVE Switch

Right from the start, HEYA (sun) goes more in the direction of songs like Baddie or Kitsch, with an outwardly self-confident sound and rap-centric verses. The choruses are definitely my favorite part, especially the way they build on the verses that come before. The hook, though it’s simple, works well, and gets stuck in your head before you know it, and each rendition adds to the power. But still, every time I listen, I feel like something is missing, like HEYA doesn’t quite know what it wants to be. It’s not smooth enough to be like Holy Moly or Love Dive but it’s not forceful enough to be like Blue Blood either. It’s close to being something good, but it’s not quite there.

From the EP, I’ve Switch, I enjoyed the fast-paced staccato beat of Blue Heart, and the sweet lyrics and bubbly chorus of WOW.

EP #3: IVE Empathy

Bursting out the gate with a solid synth pop sound that calls back to songs like I Am and After Like, Rebel Heart wastes no time getting in gear. By the time that punchy, anthemic chorus hits, you realize that you’re a couple seconds away from shooting your first in the air. Interspersed with scenes of both the girls and everyday kids breaking norms and embracing color and difference, Rebel Heart’s “Come, join as who you are, we are rebels, we are one” feels less like your regular grandstanding statement and more like a call to action. And clearly I’m not the only one who thinks so, given that it was belted at pride parades in Seoul throughout June.

Though I may have my qualms with things surrounding the song, especially the message of IVE being “rebels” when they often very firmly stick with trends and don’t often use their platform to send messages like, say, I-DLE or ATEEZ, I have to admit that I’ve loved this song since the moment I heard it, and I think I always will.

After how much I loved Rebel Heart, I had high expectations for Attitude. It’s a much more traditional kpop song, in terms of sound, structure, and message; in my original review I described it as I AM (Part II). Though I think it’s definitely similar, my views have once again softened and I think it stands fine on its own too. The best part is the pre-chorus build-up for sure, but the chant-out chorus is growing on me too. (I’m not immune to a good “da da da da da da”). I’d be lying if I said it had as much of an effect on me as its pre-release, but it’s damn catchy and I think it’s pretty solid overall.

From the EP, though I enjoyed the touches of funk in Flu and the great vocals of Thank U, my hidden gem was definitely You Wanna Cry, with its emotional through line, message of community, and soaring vocals. It’s like it was made for me.

EP #4: IVE Secret

XOXZ is interesting to me both because it seems to mark a return to IVE’s beginning (the nods towards the cupid concept, the pastel colors) and also solidify their departure towards the trap-heavy sound of Baddie. There are good parts to XOXZ, like there are in every IVE song, and far be it from me to deny that the members’ commitment to it is impressive. But, just like Baddie, not only is the song nothing that unique but it has so few of the things that distinguished IVE from their peers during their debut.

The EP, similarly, doesn’t really capture me, though if I had to pick a favorite it would be Baddest Eros.

Album #2: REVIVE+

With a spaghetti western opening hook and trap-heavy verses, Bang Bang marks another step away from what I would have once called IVE’s core sound. The pre-choruses especially have hints towards it, with a racing synth pop layer under the trap, but it doesn’t offset the rest of the song. Adding to that, the members barely even sing in the song; besides the bridge and the aforementioned pre-chorus, most of Bang Bang’s three minutes is made up of repetitions of the hook and increasingly grating shouts of “BANG BANG”. I know I sound harsh, but I really don’t understand what the thought process was here.

Say what you will about the songs themselves, IVE knows how to do a music video. Black Hole opens with the members in what looks like a post-apocalyptic world, and Wonyoung walking over the wreckage in a hot pink suit. Like I Am and Attitude before it, Black Hole is a synth pop track about confidence and chasing your dreams despite what others may say. And as overdone as that may be, I’ll be damned if it doesn’t work on me. Hell yeah. I don’t think that the song quite lives up to its lofty ideals in the way that a song like Rebel Heart does, but it’s a welcome return to form that, were I to hear it with no context, I would immediately know is IVE.

Half of the album REVIVE+ is taken up by solos, which excited me. Some of my favorite kpop albums, like TWICE’s The Story Goes On, or Dreamcatcher’s Apocalypse: Save Us do this, and it can be a really great opportunity to learn about the members’ preferred styles. Here, though, none of the songs really stood out to me much, and all sound like they could just be IVE songs, either falling into the light synth pop sound like Rei’s or Gaeul’s, the trap-heavy “look at me I’m SO cool” genre like Wonyoung’s or Yujin’s, or somewhere in between like Leeseo’s. My favorite, and one I found most different, Liz’s solo Unreal, goes for a slightly more rock-pop sound, but it’s still very much within IVE’s purview.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this, both the first and the second time. For this review, I watched their appearance in the k-pop documentary Generation, some clips of Wonyoung MC’ing music bank, Yujin’s appearance on The Chef And My Fridge, and a couple short segments of them Trying Not To Sing and doing a dance relay with kids, which were both very charming. Fun fact, the reason I’ve written Yujin’s name as “Yujin” throughout instead of “An Yujin”, how she’s usually referred to, is because on Chef and My Fridge she explained that she prefers only he first name. I feel like I know enough to hold an opinion on IVE that is my own, not just copied from someone else. IVE seem lovely, and while I won’t be attending their tour, they’re clearly very talented performers who I wish all the best.

My Top 5 songs are Rebel Heart, I Am, You Wanna Cry, Love Dive, and Holy Moly, with Blue Blood as an honorable mention. IVE gets a 7.5 out of 10 from me, and I know, I know, you have your pitchforks in hand, but let me explain:

In my original review, which, again for context, was written in early 2024, I wrote this: “There were some moments [in writing things] that made me smile, moments where I felt like they were allowed to be kids and have fun together, but they were the minority. I want to stress again that none of my criticism has to do with IVE as people. I wish them all the best, and I’m not going to hate on them for things they have no control over. If anything, I feel very scared for them. After the recent high-profile deaths in k-pop, I fear what will happen when we keep placing such young children in such a pressure cooker of an industry with no help. IVE are the same age as me, and their most prominent face is, to be blunt, near skin and bone. I sincerely hope that they’re alright, and I’m glad they have each other.”

With the benefit of another two years (both of age and of being a kpop fan), I think that IVE, really, is a perfect example of what k-pop is, both the good and the bad. As talented as they are, as fun as a lot of the music is, something about it just feels plastic and artificial. And I’m especially sad about the fact that they seem to have moved so far away from the sound that defined them, when it was both unique, and, in my opinion, much stronger. As much as I like to harp on NCT 127, their music consistently sounds like them and consistently makes me feel something. And in this case, I can’t make myself get over these bad feelings and I can’t make myself support most of IVE’s work. But I’m also not going to give up on them all together, because that’s not what I’m about on this blog. Who knows? Maybe as the members get older, and are able to gain more creative control, my opinion will change.

Next time, we’re onto a soloist. Tschüss, 안녕!, and Goodbye!

IVE Deep Dive #2/2: Who Are These It Girls, ‘Off The Record’?

Here are my credentials (again!): Like many people, I first learned about IVE through Wonyoung, who it’s not an exaggeration to call one of Kpop’s most prominent faces, for endorsements, crazy fangirling, and criticism alike. I remember when they debuted in 2021, but I’d say I really became aware of them when Love Dive came out the next year. This is actually the second review I’ve written about IVE. I wrote the first one in April of 2024, and while I’ve updated it since then, I felt like it was time to completely redo it. (Full disclosure, my first review about them wasn’t too positive, but my opinion’s softened a little with time) The main reason I’m doing this now is because IVE are going to be in my area soon during their upcoming tour, and I’m considering going. So, let’s get into it!

(Read Part One here)

EP #2: IVE Switch

Right from the start, HEYA (sun) goes more in the direction of songs like Baddie or Kitsch, with an outwardly self-confident sound and rap-centric verses. The choruses are definitely my favorite part, especially the way they build on the verses that come before. The hook, though it’s simple, works well, and gets stuck in your head before you know it, and each rendition adds to the power. But still, every time I listen, I feel like something is missing, like HEYA doesn’t quite know what it wants to be. It’s not smooth enough to be like Holy Moly or Love Dive but it’s not forceful enough to be like Blue Blood either. It’s close to being something good, but it’s not quite there.

From the EP, I’ve Switch, I enjoyed the fast-paced staccato beat of Blue Heart, and the sweet lyrics and bubbly chorus of WOW.

EP #3: IVE Empathy

Bursting out the gate with a solid synth pop sound that calls back to songs like I Am and After Like, Rebel Heart wastes no time getting in gear. By the time that punchy, anthemic chorus hits, you realize that you’re a couple seconds away from shooting your first in the air. Interspersed with scenes of both the girls and everyday kids breaking norms and embracing color and difference, Rebel Heart’s “Come, join as who you are, we are rebels, we are one” feels less like your regular grandstanding statement and more like a call to action. And clearly I’m not the only one who thinks so, given that it was belted at pride parades in Seoul throughout June.

Though I may have my qualms with things surrounding the song, especially the message of IVE being “rebels” when they often very firmly stick with trends and don’t often use their platform to send messages like, say, I-DLE or ATEEZ, I have to admit that I’ve loved this song since the moment I heard it, and I think I always will.

After how much I loved Rebel Heart, I had high expectations for Attitude. It’s a much more traditional kpop song, in terms of sound, structure, and message; in my original review I described it as I AM (Part II). Though I think it’s definitely similar, my views have once again softened and I think it stands fine on its own too. The best part is the pre-chorus build-up for sure, but the chant-out chorus is growing on me too. (I’m not immune to a good “da da da da da da”). I’d be lying if I said it had as much of an effect on me as its pre-release, but it’s damn catchy and I think it’s pretty solid overall.

From the EP, though I enjoyed the touches of funk in Flu and the great vocals of Thank U, my hidden gem was definitely You Wanna Cry, with its emotional through line, message of community, and soaring vocals. It’s like it was made for me.

EP #4: IVE Secret

XOXZ is interesting to me both because it seems to mark a return to IVE’s beginning (the nods towards the cupid concept, the pastel colors) and also solidify their departure towards the trap-heavy sound of Baddie. There are good parts to XOXZ, like there are in every IVE song, and far be it from me to deny that the members’ commitment to it is impressive. But, just like Baddie, not only is the song nothing that unique but it has so few of the things that distinguished IVE from their peers during their debut.

The EP, similarly, doesn’t really capture me, though if I had to pick a favorite it would be Baddest Eros.

Album #2: REVIVE+

With a spaghetti western opening hook and trap-heavy verses, Bang Bang marks another step away from what I would have once called IVE’s core sound. The pre-choruses especially have hints towards it, with a racing synth pop layer under the trap, but it doesn’t offset the rest of the song. Adding to that, the members barely even sing in the song; besides the bridge and the aforementioned pre-chorus, most of Bang Bang’s three minutes is made up of repetitions of the hook and increasingly grating shouts of “BANG BANG”. I know I sound harsh, but I really don’t understand what the thought process was here.

Say what you will about the songs themselves, IVE knows how to do a music video. Black Hole opens with the members in what looks like a post-apocalyptic world, and Wonyoung walking over the wreckage in a hot pink suit. Like I Am and Attitude before it, Black Hole is a synth pop track about confidence and chasing your dreams despite what others may say. And as overdone as that may be, I’ll be damned if it doesn’t work on me. Hell yeah. I don’t think that the song quite lives up to its lofty ideals in the way that a song like Rebel Heart does, but it’s a welcome return to form that, were I to hear it with no context, I would immediately know is IVE.

Half of the album REVIVE+ is taken up by solos, which excited me. Some of my favorite kpop albums, like TWICE’s The Story Goes On, or Dreamcatcher’s Apocalypse: Save Us do this, and it can be a really great opportunity to learn about the members’ preferred styles. Here, though, none of the songs really stood out to me much, and all sound like they could just be IVE songs, either falling into the light synth pop sound like Rei’s or Gaeul’s, the trap-heavy “look at me I’m SO cool” genre like Wonyoung’s or Yujin’s, or somewhere in between like Leeseo’s. My favorite, and one I found most different, Liz’s solo Unreal, goes for a slightly more rock-pop sound, but it’s still very much within IVE’s purview.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this, both the first and the second time. For this review, I watched their appearance in the k-pop documentary Generation, some clips of Wonyoung MC’ing music bank, Yujin’s appearance on The Chef And My Fridge, and a couple short segments of them Trying Not To Sing and doing a dance relay with kids, which were both very charming. Fun fact, the reason I’ve written Yujin’s name as “Yujin” throughout instead of “An Yujin”, how she’s usually referred to, is because on Chef and My Fridge she explained that she prefers only he first name. I feel like I know enough to hold an opinion on IVE that is my own, not just copied from someone else. IVE seem lovely, and while I won’t be attending their tour, they’re clearly very talented performers who I wish all the best.

My Top 5 songs are Rebel Heart, I Am, You Wanna Cry, Love Dive, and Holy Moly, with Blue Blood as an honorable mention. IVE gets a 7.5 out of 10 from me, and I know, I know, you have your pitchforks in hand, but let me explain:

In my original review, which, again for context, was written in early 2024, I wrote this: “There were some moments [in writing things] that made me smile, moments where I felt like they were allowed to be kids and have fun together, but they were the minority. I want to stress again that none of my criticism has to do with IVE as people. I wish them all the best, and I’m not going to hate on them for things they have no control over. If anything, I feel very scared for them. After the recent high-profile deaths in k-pop, I fear what will happen when we keep placing such young children in such a pressure cooker of an industry with no help. IVE are the same age as me, and their most prominent face is, to be blunt, near skin and bone. I sincerely hope that they’re alright, and I’m glad they have each other.”

With the benefit of another two years (both of age and of being a kpop fan), I think that IVE, really, is a perfect example of what k-pop is, both the good and the bad. As talented as they are, as fun as a lot of the music is, something about it just feels plastic and artificial. And I’m especially sad about the fact that they seem to have moved so far away from the sound that defined them, when it was both unique, and, in my opinion, much stronger. As much as I like to harp on NCT 127, their music consistently sounds like them and consistently makes me feel something. And in this case, I can’t make myself get over these bad feelings and I can’t make myself support most of IVE’s work. But I’m also not going to give up on them all together, because that’s not what I’m about on this blog. Who knows? Maybe as the members get older, and are able to gain more creative control, my opinion will change.

Next time, we’re onto a soloist. Tschüss, 안녕!, and Goodbye!

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