On “I’VE MINE”, IVE Invite Us Into Their World
IVE experiment with new sounds and reveal, just slightly, a more authentic side of themselves.
Starship Entertainment
For the past two years, IVE has released some of the most forward-thinking music in K-Pop. They nearly took over the world in 2022 when “LOVE DIVE” dropped thanks to its clever choreography and JANG WONYOUNG’s perfect missile of a line, “Narcissistic/ My god,I love it,” which she delivered with a sly smile at every performance. “LOVE DIVE” is the kind of track groups spend their whole careers searching for, but IVE found it on their second single.
As they grew, IVE seemed to know their young, progressive audience well. Their music is often uplifting and radiant with its anthemic melodies, like on the brilliant title track “I AM”. With every release, the girls have proven that their discography is unusually sophisticated and well-produced. They are, next to MONSTA X, the greatest group Starship Entertainment has ever produced, and since their debut single “ELEVEN”, they’ve become leaders of fourth generation K-Pop.
But on their new EP “I’VE MINE”, IVE try something new: They rap. This shouldn’t be surprising in K-Pop where nearly every group has a main rapper. Yet IVE does not house a main rapper. The closest we’ve ever gotten was GAEUL’s viral ten second verse on “AFTER LIKE”. No matter. The girls are almost braggadocious in their delivery on “Baddie”, the title track of the EP that sounds more akin to the experimental tracks of NCT than something in IVE’s discography. “I’m a baddie, ba-ba-babaddie,” JANG WONYOUNG practically purrs in her verse. “Pretty little risky baddie/ Catch me if you ca-a-an”.
“Baddie” is a weird track, for sure, and by far the most challenging song in IVE’s discography. It’s a disorienting move for a girl group that has traditionally released some of the best melodic bangers in K-Pop. Their charm has largely been thanks to this emphasis on their softness and their femininity. After the release of “AFTER LIKE”, which sampled the disco anthem “I Will Survive”, the girls cemented themselves - with a wink - that they were here for a decidedly queer and girly-pop audience.
“I’VE MINE” never quite lives up to IVE’s reputation for excellence though, and it fails to deliver on any music that reaches the soaring heights of their previous lead single, “I AM”. Instead, the result is an EP that feels less like a true IVE record and more like an appraisal of what’s trending in K-Pop. “Baddie” is clearly manufactured for TikTok dance challenges, and while it is great fun to listen to, it is not a great track. It is, though, high camp, although whether it is intended to be as queer-coded as it feels is up for debate.
Elsewhere on “i’VE MINE '', IVE continue to experiment, always competently but never as confidently as before. Pre-release single “Off the Record” sounds akin to IVE testing the pastiche contours of NewJeans as they sample a softer sound that is perfect for sleepovers. “These late night conversations/ Won’t come to an end,” the girls think. It’s another solid track for IVE but, still, one that doesn’t quite have the bang we’ve come to expect from a group this talented.
The record becomes more confident near the end as b-sides “Holy Moly'' and “OTT'' bridge an alluring mixture of experimental production and classic IVE melodies. “Holy Moly”, particularly, sounds like the kind of sound IVE could shift to as it begins with the twang of a Western before unrolling a creaky, trap beat. It’s great fun, and shows where the girls excel as vocalists. They sound brassy and self-assured as the quirky sound leads them to uncharted territory. “OTT”, similarly, pushes IVE just slightly outside of their comfort zone to a cheeky new sound that’s reminiscent of ‘70s American disco. “I don’t have time to figure it out,” the girls sigh. “I think I’ll fall in love with you, OTT”.
IVE has said that they hope this record encourages listeners to embrace self-acceptance, but “Either Way” feels like the only track that directly addresses this concept. “The countless versions of me made from misunderstandings,” JANG WONYOUNG sings, “All of them are 'me' in the end.” Sung by WONYOUNG, these lines feel the most impactful, particularly because of the vicious amount of hate and criticism she’s received since she was a young teenager, ranging from gross speculation about her weight to vicious attacks on her personality. And all of IVE, too, has faced baseless accusations: that they are not friends; that the girl group is built around WONYOUNG; that they are deeply unhappy. While the group has never commented on these rumors, I can only imagine how hurtful it is.
Girl groups will always have a harder time finding acceptance and love from fans. They are, after all, held to impossible standards in a patriarchal society. From a young age, they are told to be sexy but not provocative, relatable but not normal, beautiful but not unattainable, and these paradoxes can break any girl’s self-confidence. Unlike boy groups who have largely begun to show more of their authentic selves in the public eye, girl groups are not given the luxury to be themselves. IVE has never punched back at this kind of speculation, but “Either Way” does feel like Starship’s attempt to remind the girls – and their fans – that they don’t have to be any more than who they are. “All the love and hate/ I’ll take it all,” they surmise in the final verse, “Either way, we’re good.”
