K-Pop Idols IVE discuss the layered emotions in their new EP ‘IVE SECRET’

IVE are exploring a sonically softer side with their new EP ‘IVE SECRET.’ The K-Pop group has garnered a reputation for producing punchy pop that whirls around your brain. Songs such as the stomping anthem ‘Blue Blood,’ raucous ‘HEYA’ and catchy disco whirlwind ‘After LIKE’ (the soundtrack to that iconic Lisa Rinna M&M viral TikTok) have showcased plenty of versatility in their discography in the past few years. The group, that comprises of GAEUL, AN YUJIN, REI, JANG WONYOUNG, LIZ and LEESEO, has mellowed things out with ‘IVE SECRET’- a six track EP that explores themes of dreams and longing. The music video for their lead track ‘XOXZ’ starts with the group crashing through a hotel room window on atop an articulated lorry before embarking on a dreamlike journey through a technicolour metropolis- complete with morphing realities and purposefully glitching visuals .

The track blends the ethereal with toughness in emphatic fashion that the group have achieved in the past with tracks like ‘LOVE DIVE.’ After the fever-dream opening song, the EP moves to the beautiful whimsical ‘Wild Bird’ that is full of cascading percussion and string sounds, laced with violin strings, drums and euphoric synths. There is a clever balance achieved sonically, never overdoing either side of the spectrum of sounds they are exploring. ‘♥Beats’ brings some livelier levels that we’re used to hearing from IVE. The theme of articulating longing and pining plays through songs such as ‘Dear, My Feelings.’ It’s reminiscent of pouring one’s thought into a diary and has a more sugary, traditional K-pop sound to it.  ‘GOTCHA (Baddest Eros) revs up the energy before ‘Midnight Kiss returns to the ethereal synths and thoughts of love. It’s a record that has levels, which is no mean feat for a tight track listing. The six-piece talked about the levels, the sound and theme of their six-song E.P.

IVE SECRET Mini-album has a more mellow and softer sound to your usual discography. How was it exploring a bit of a different sound? 

AN YUJIN: This album definitely has a mix of different sounds. We try to show a new side of ourselves in each album and this time we wanted to try out a more mysterious style. 

GAEUL: We wanted to be more secretive and deep but still have IVE’s signature confidence in the softer tracks too. We had to express a range of emotions when recording so I think we all enjoyed trying these new styles this time! 

There are still tougher, and louder tracks, such as ‘XOXZ,’ ‘GOTCHA (baddest Eros)’ and ‘♥beats; are there any you are particularly excited to perform live for your fans? 

LEESEO: I especially loved ‘XOXZ’ as soon as I heard the demo and thought it was so catchy. We had a lot of fun performing it for our fans during our music show promotions. This album has a variety of tracks from edgy to emotional so I hope we have a chance to perform all of them for our fans.

Do you have a favourite track from the EP and why? 

GAEUL: My favourite is ‘♥beats’ because I like the cute and unique lyrics, as well as, the bright yet hip-hop style melody.

LEESEO: I really like our title track ‘XOXZ.’ We had to express the inner evil moments that we have inside and that felt new and fun for me. Since we made so many great memories while promoting this song, ‘XOXZ’ has become an even more special track in my heart. 

What themes run through the EP that connect the songs together? 

LIZ: This album is about expressing layered emotions with a sense of mystery and confidence. All the tracks express distinct emotions and contribute to the broader theme of the album. We have tracks from ‘Wild Bird’ that’s about feeling free to ‘GOTCHA (Baddest Eros)’ that’s dark and edgy so there’s a range of emotions that we wanted to express.

Jang Wonyoung, you co-wrote ‘XOXZ’ and Liz, you co-wrote ‘Midnight Kiss’ Can you each talk about the lyrics of the song? 

JANG WONYOUNG: ‘XOXZ’ is a dreamlike yet confident song. I stuck with the theme of dreams and worked to make the lyrics create an overall dreamy vibe for the listeners. As always, writing lyrics was a really enjoyable process for me.

LIZ: ‘Midnight Kiss’ is a song that expresses the idea that ‘I can only see you in my dreams’ and because of that I wanted to include a cute idea of not wanting to wake up from the dream in my lyrics.

Both the above songs explore on the ideas of dreams. Do any of the group have any recurring vivid dreams in real life that you remember? 

AN YUJIN: If I had to choose a vivid dream, I think it’d be a dream I had when I was little. In that dream, I got lost in the mountains and I remember getting lost four or five times in the same dream so it was really scary.

REI: In my dreams, I have my own dream world and it’s fascinating because there’s always different stories unfolding in the same place for me.

‘Dear, My Feelings’ explores the idea of writing a diary. Do any of you keep a diary? Did you ever keep one when you are younger? Do you ever read them back? 

REI: I don’t keep a diary now, but I used to write in a journal every day back when I was a trainee. I made sure to write about what happened that day or things that kept me motivated. Honestly though, my favourite part was decorating my diary with stickers.

You toured last year, and visited the UK. Did you have anything that really sticks out as a memory of the UK when you visited? 

LEESEO: Visiting the UK remains such a happy memory for me because I remember that our fans there welcomed us so warmly. I also remember eating really delicious fish and chips while I was there too!

You have had quite a few moments that have gone viral on social media, such as Tiktok. Do you have a favourite one that the fans are currently posting? 

JANG WONYOUNG: Our fans upload such fun videos online. I really enjoy watching videos of people doing dance covers of IVE songs so I’ve been watching so many ‘XOXZ’ dance covers lately!

The fans see everything, is there anything funny someone in the group has done that the fans never let you forget? 

AN YUJIN: The most recent funny thing that happened would be when LIZ dropped her mic at KCON LA and all of us were so shocked on stage. Our fans keep talking about our reactions from that!

Who is the member that you go to for comfort when you need it? And why? 

JANG WONYOUNG: I would say GAEUL because she’s a really good listener. She always listens to me sincerely and she’s the member I connect with the most.

Who is the most fun member to tease at the moment? Please explain why?

AN YUJIN: I think I’m almost always the member that’s teasing the other members so I just enjoy teasing everyone. It’s so much fun to see their reactions when I tease them.

Who is the mood maker of the group? And why so?

LIZ: I would say YUJIN! She’s so energetic and fun like a puppy and she’s always making the other members laugh a lot.

Which member of the group do you go to if you have a problem and why?

LEESEO: When I have worries, I usually talk to YUJIN. Since she’s our leader, I feel like I can share with her and she’s always trying to help me and be supportive.

When you’re on tour, which members like to explore a city together, which like to eat together and which like to stay in the hotel and relax together?

GAEUL: I’d say the members who like to go out and explore the city are YUJIN, REI, WONYOUNG and myself. The members who like to stay in and relax are LIZ and LEESEO, but when it’s time to eat, we all like to go together!

Which is the member who checks in on you the most and also with the group as a whole when you’re not together? 

REI: It would be YUJIN! We often send each other funny videos we find online so now it’s become part of our daily routine to just check and ask each other what we’re doing or what we’re eating that day.