By: Justin Doan

SAN JOSE, CALIF. — Has just released their first mini album on all streaming platforms and it has stirred up a bit of controversy in the community, so was this new era for IVE a hit or flop?

IVE is a six member k-pop group formed by Starship entertainment featuring members: Jang Won-young, An Yu-jin, Lee Hyun Seo, Naoi Rei, Kim Ga Eul and Kim Jiwon. They just released their highly anticipated first mini album. Mini albums are albums that contain 4-7 songs. But the project has started some hot discussions in the community, like whether the group is on its downfall. There is a lot that went into this comeback like the concept photos, teasers and especially the music.

The first few teasers were released on Sept. 3 which were graphics for the three upcoming main tracks for this era. The set-list included: “Either Way”, “Off the Record” and “Baddie” the main promotional track. Each graphic was showcased a different aesthetic to mirror the mood of each song. “Baddie” featured lots of bling and bold harsh typography, “Off the Record” was a retro 60’s inspired poster and “Either Way” was an indie movie teaser.

Sept. 10 was the reveal of the tracklist for the comeback which featured 6 songs: the three tracks teased earlier, “Holy Moly”, “OTT” and “Payback.” Many people started to get skeptical about the quality of the comeback since they weren’t accustomed to having AAVE (African American Vernacular English) be in songs. A lot of people online noticed that when a song uses AAVE or features AAVE prominently in the title or song itself, the song usually doesn’t do well or is heavily criticized. Take for example “As If It’s Your Last” by k-pop group BLACKPINK was criticized for mis-use of AAVE on the line “You gon’ finna catch me” during the second verse. Not all responses were negative though, Silver Creek student May Vu says,”A big core of IVE’s music to me has always been confidence in self. Their title track “I AM” from their album in April is a testament to this, but “BADDIE” really feels like IVE is fully taking on this concept and running with it. “BADDIE” as a title is fitting. The song is abrasive and beaming with confidence, and the title sells it perfectly.”

The next few concept teasers were released on Sept. 24, Oct. 3 and Oct. 9-10. All of them having distinct styles, the main concept for “BADDIE”, featured an aesthetic that deviated from their usual aesthetic. Many know IVE for their elegant yet confident image, but the concept here were more rough, “girl-crush” if you would say. The photos were cyber punk esque with inpsiration from old video game teasers.

The highlight melody was finally released on Oct. 11 and fans weren’t disappointed. It featured the two teased pre-released tracks: “Off the Record”, a 80’s disco pop song and “Either Way”, a trap/alternative rnb song. The newest tracks teased were “Holy Moly”, a trap dance-pop beat heavy song. “OTT” an alt rnb song . “Payback” a soft rock pop song and the main promotional track, “BADDIE” a trap rap heavy song. Many fan exclaimed at the groups upcoming project, but many feared that this would be what others would call a “flop era”. IVE had already given hints with ditching their elegant concept with their pre-release single “Kitsch” back in April but this just solidified it. One of the main things drawing fans toward IVE was their sound and image. In a world full of girl-crush and cutesy IVE were the standalone elegant concept.

The speculations of IVE’s musical downfall was put to a halt when they sold 1,605,948 copies on the Hanteo charts within their first week. Their track “BADDIE” was number one on the top 100 on the Melon charts and number two on the hot 100. Overall, this era was a good run for the girls as they received Best Performer and Artist of the Year Awards at the TMA’s and are currently nominated for 3 MAMA Awards. They have also just announced their first world tour; the dates are currently on their official Instagram.

Tags – kpop, korean pop, music, ive, wonyoung, izone, melon, blackpink, schs, raider review, silver creek high school, mama awards, korea, baddie, starship entertainment, melon charts, music production, hanteo charts