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| ▲ K-pop girl group IVE attend the press showcase for their third mini-album "IVE EMPATHY" held in Seoul on Feb. 3, 2025. (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- "In this album, we didn’t just tell stories about ‘me’ but also sang about ‘empathy’ for others. Seeing people recognize this musical growth through comments on our videos made me proud." (An Yu-jin)
Fourth-generation K-pop girl group IVE has returned to their fans at the start of 2025 with new themes of "empathy" and "camaraderie."
The group beamed at a press conference held in Yeouido, Seoul, on Monday to celebrate the release of their third mini-album IVE EMPATHY.
IVE shared, "Since our debut, the six of us have built our teamwork by respecting and empathizing with each other. We are happy to talk about empathy through our music. We will work hard to ensure our message is well delivered."
IVE EMPATHY marks their first new release in Korea in approximately nine months, following their second mini-album IVE SWITCH in April of last year.
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| ▲ Jang Won-young of K-pop girl group IVE attends the press showcase for the group's third mini-album "IVE EMPATHY" held in Seoul on Feb. 3, 2025. (Yonhap) |
The album features six tracks, including the pre-released double title track "Rebel Heart," the other title track "Attitude," as well as "Flu," a song with an addictive chorus and harmonious vocals; "You Wanna Cry," a reinterpretation of Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody; and "Thank U," a song for which member Liz participated in writing lyrics for the first time.
"Rebel Heart," which was pre-released last month to a positive reception, centers on camaraderie and delivers warmth and comfort to its listeners. With the lyrics, "Sometimes, we don’t need a reason to be there for each other," the members expanded their perspective from "me" to "us."
"Attitude" conveys that while we cannot change our circumstances, we can change our attitude, encouraging listeners to approach situations with a cheerful mindset. The song samples Suzanne Vega’s Tom’s Diner, blending its familiar melody with rhythmic bass and an addictive hook.
Liz, the group’s main vocalist, remarked, "I never imagined we would get a song with a higher vocal range than I AM, but since I love the song and practiced a lot, I’m confident there won’t be any difficulty performing it on music shows."
An Yu-jin added, "Sampling was one of the challenges and attempts we made. Although it is a sampled song, we made sure to present it in a way that was unique and engaging, telling our own story."
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| ▲ An Yu-jin, the leader of K-pop girl group IVE, attends the press showcase for the group's third mini-album "IVE EMPATHY" held in Seoul on Feb. 3, 2025. (Yonhap) |
Jang Wonyoung, who has spread positive thinking through the viral phrases "Wonyoung’s mindset" and "Lucky Vicky" (a combination of "lucky" and her English name "Vicky"), participated in writing lyrics for this album.
"As much as people love me as ‘Lucky Vicky,’ I wrote a song that embodies the ‘Lucky Vicky mindset.’ Many young people grow up watching our actions and listening to our music, and I can really feel our influence. That makes me more cautious about my words and actions. I want to continue having a positive and good impact," she said.
She also shared her growing passion for songwriting: "I’ve participated in writing lyrics for some of our previous tracks, and since both the fans and our company liked them, I expressed my desire to write a title track next. Among our new songs, I was especially drawn to Attitude, so I decided to write its lyrics."
Through the music video for "Attitude," IVE portrays a society that has lost love, transforming it with their positive energy and empathy.
Since their debut in December 2021, IVE has consistently topped the charts with every release, including ELEVEN, LOVE DIVE, After LIKE, Kitsch, I AM, and Baddie, solidifying their position as leaders of the fourth-generation girl group wave. Over the past three years and two months, they have won a total of 60 first-place trophies.
Their first world tour, SHOW WHAT I HAVE (2023–2024), covered 19 countries, 28 cities, and 37 performances, attracting over 420,000 spectators. They also received praise for their performances at major international music festivals, including Lollapalooza Chicago in the U.S. and Summer Sonic 2024 in Japan.
Gaeul reflected, "It feels like a dream that we are now seniors in the industry. We want to be seniors that juniors can look up to while also growing alongside them as a group."
Liz added, "We’ve expressed our identity through confidence and self-love, and fans see that as what makes IVE, IVE. We aim to continue growing into a group that people can look forward to."
On the release date of the new album, member Rei celebrated her birthday. "I’m so happy to be making a comeback on my birthday. I hope to create many happy memories with our fans," she said.
"I want to gain more stage experience and show a more relaxed performance in the future. Especially, I hope we get the opportunity to perform in Nagoya, Rei’s hometown." (An Yu-jin)
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