IVE. "I AM" Ready for the Full-Length Album.
Since the members debut with “Eleven” in 2021, IVE has been a dominating figure within the K-Pop world, releasing hit songs such as “LOVE DIVE” and “After LIKE” that have captivated listeners on a global scale. “LOVE DIVE” even made the Top 10 of Billboard’s Global Excluding U.S. Chart—the highest peak on the chart for a fourth-generation K-Pop group.
After several single releases, IVE has now dropped their highly anticipated first full-length album, titled I’ve IVE, consisting of 11 tracks, including title track “I AM” and pre-release single “Kitsch.” Released on April 10, this album shows IVE taking on new sounds and directions, giving DIVEs plenty of new material to listen to and obsess over.
The entire I’ve IVE album demonstrates IVE’s talents at taking on different musical styles and allows listeners to determine their favorite style for IVE through the varying song selections available through the tracklist.
The album starts strong with the opening track “Blue Blood,” a powerful song that would be the perfect opening track for an IVE world tour. Just imagine all the dark and dramatic effects and costumes they could experiment with on stage with this song! The repetition of the line, “What’s your blood type? Oh, you? I’m blue,” and how the members sing those words, as well as the instrumentation section that follows, are all effective components that contribute to the song's powerful and exciting dynamic.
I’ve IVE then goes into its title track, “I AM.” At first, this track didn’t grab my attention as much as IVE's previous releases. The more I listened to it, the more I liked it and realized that “I AM” is classic IVE, with its fun melody and catchy lyrics. “I AM” is an excellent song with empowering lyrics that listeners can aspire to live by or believe in, such as, “You are someone’s dream come true,” and the chorus, “That’s my / Life is a beautiful galaxy / Be a writer, the genre is fantasy / A big big stage will open for me tomorrow / So that is who I am.”* The members’ vocal presence is strong, as is their visual presence in the accompanying music video that features the members in extravagant locations, living their best life, flying on a private jet, and strutting through a mansion dressed in stunning black and white outfits.
Some of the scenes and the outfits that the members are wearing, particularly those on the wing of the jet and the shot of Wonyoung jumping from the jet’s open door, immediately gave me Charlie’s Angels vibes, as if IVE are secret crime-fighting agents by night, living their fancy, luxurious lifestyles in the day.
The third track is the pre-release “Kitsch,” released on March 27 with an accompanying music video that set the bar for what was to come with the rest of I’ve IVE. “Kitsch” is a song with no clear-cut concept, switching between cute and edgy throughout the musical composition and vocal style. The song’s beat changes from the verse to the chorus, and the repetition of the words, “urimanui jayuroun nineteen’s kitsch,” and, “kitsch,” bring an unexpected yet intriguing vibe to the song that will make you have “Kitsch” stuck in your head and on repeat for ages. When comparing it to the likes of “Eleven,” "LOVE DIVE,” and “After LIKE,” “Kitsch” is very different, so much so that some listeners might not enjoy this musical change. For others (including myself), this is an excellent addition to IVE’s growing discography.
The following track, “Lips,” takes on a sweet, retro-pop vibe that is somewhat reminiscent of the sounds of second-generation K-Pop girl groups like Apink, Girls’ Generation, and SISTAR, to name a few. “Heroine” is another unique IVE song with an interesting composition and vocal delivery, particularly in the chorus that enters into an enticing “ooh” ad-lib section, while “Mine” is a sweetly sung pop song that borders the bedroom pop genre with a soft ballad-esque touch.
The seventh track, “Hypnosis,” is an amazing B-side that could have been the perfect title track for I’ve IVE. Like its title, “Hypnosis” is hypnotic with its R&B and hip-hop flow. This track highlights REI and Gaeul’s impressive rap abilities, especially Gaeul, who abruptly brings the song to an end, leaving you wanting to hear more of her rap style.
The next track, “NOT YOUR GIRL,” provides a lot of nostalgia. It has a sound that is reminiscent to pop songs from Western artists in the late ‘90s and early noughties, while “Next Page” is another song that carries that soft and catchy sound that IVE is excellent at delivering.
The penultimate track, “Cherish,” takes us back down the nostalgic route, this time having a nostalgic hip-hop, R&B-infused pop sound. It’s a wonderful easy-listening song that you could listen to in any circumstance, especially if you want to chill or dance. Not to mention, I love the way they sing the word “cherish” in the chorus.
In the same way that “Blue Blood”' opens I’ve IVE with a dramatic and powerful sound that is perfect for an IVE world tour opener, “Shine With Me” brings the album to a close with a soft, pop-ballad sound that would be the perfect song to bring IVE’s tour to a close. The incorporation of a twinkling sound effect in the song's composition, along with the band and orchestral instruments, adds a beautiful touch to the song and a beautiful end to the I’ve IVE album, showing IVE’s capability of taking on ballads as well as upbeat pop tracks.
With I’ve IVE, IVE once again prove that they are the girl group to watch, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for them from here on out!
*Translation from music video subtitles.
Edited by Asia Moore