The six girls who fought against the harsh world with their strong ‘narcissism’ are starting to put down their armor and shield little by little and listen to their surroundings.

The change in the six-member girl group IVE is clearly revealed in their third mini-album ‘Ive Empathy’, released on the 3rd, drawing attention. Since their debut in 2021, IVE has consistently put forward the theme of ‘narcissism’, loving oneself, and through this new album, they shift their focus from ‘I’ to ‘Us’ and tell a new story.

Starting with the name of their new album, ‘Empathy’, they have colorfully expressed their musical growth extending outward through a six-track list including the double title tracks ‘REBEL HEART’ and ‘ATTITUDE’, ‘FLU’, ‘You Wanna Cry’, ‘Thank U’, ‘TKO’.

Having established themselves as a ‘trend girl group’ with their confident lyrics and stately charm, Ive explained the reason for the change, saying, “We created an album that resonates with the times and generations because we wanted to show the experiences and growth we gained through our 11-month world tour last year.”.

Member Jang Won-young, who participated in writing the lyrics for the title song ‘Attitude,’, incorporated her catchphrase ‘Lucky Vicky’, which refers to her signature positive mindset, into the song. She said, “I put the ‘Lucky Vicky mind’ into the message that in a situation where you can‘t change everything, the only thing you can change is your positive ‘my attitude.’.”

As this album further expands the world of Iveman’s solid ‘narcissism’, each member‘s capabilities were mobilized. Member Liz participated in writing lyrics for the first time through the track ‘Thank You’, and with ‘Attitude’ and ‘You Wanna Cry’, she challenged herself with sampling, boldly utilizing Susan Baggie’s ‘Tom‘s Dinner’ and Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’.

Leader Ahn Yu-jin said, “We have consistently attempted music, such as borrowing folktales in ‘Have to’, and I hope that this sampling will be accepted as part of that.” “Although it is a sampling, we tried to make it not obvious and to record our own story,” he said confidently, adding, “No matter what challenge I take on, I want to be evaluated as doing well.”


Reporter Yoo Ji-hye yjh0304@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.