IVE ‘WOW’ Us Once Again With Their IVE SWITCH EP

If you’re not listening to IVE right now, it’s time to switch it up and press play on their IVE SWITCH EP! Gaeul, Yujin, Rei, Wonyoung, Liz, and Leeseo are back to shine with six new tracks of pure pop perfection. From self-love and identity to romance and knowing your worth, IVE SWITCH is even more proof that the girls can truly do it all, coming in the midst of their SHOW WHAT I HAVE world tour to show us more of what they have up their sleeves. 

From the beginning, IVE has had such an interesting duality to them: glamorous, but grounded. Royal, but relatable. Polished, but playful. That’s never been on display quite as well as it is on IVE SWITCH, effortlessly flowing between their elegant and edgy sides. We even get to hear vocalists Yujin and Leeseo rap for the first time on ‘Ice Queen’ and ‘HEYA,’ respectively! 

Let’s dive right into our track-by-track look because if we don’t hold ourselves back, we could talk about this EP all day. IVE SWITCH kicks off with the focus track ‘HEYA,’ an alluringly powerful love song inspired by the Korean fairytale The Tiger Who Loved The Sun. Here, IVE are the tigers pursuing their crush with unapologetic confidence! And we may not have been the target audience for that loving message, but we’re falling for them all over again with this release.

“Wait for the right moment and pose
Tiger eyes shining in the darkness
Approaching while in disguise…”

We’re so grateful that the hypnotic ‘Accendio’ will be another focus track because it might just be our favorite IVE song to date! With elements of hyperpop and sirenlike backing vocals, the song sees IVE demanding the right kind of love and calling it in with a magic word (of course, “accendio”). It’s a reminder never to accept less than you deserve and to know what you deserve in the first place. The energy of this song is immaculate, and we can’t get enough of it!

“Watch me, don’t touch me
Love me, don’t hurt me…” 

Get ready to hear ‘Blue Heart’ all over your FYP because we could totally see this song going viral! ‘Blue Heart’ is seriously that girl when it comes to slick pop, and the hyperpop influence from ‘Accendio’ comes back for the electrifying chorus. The track comes from the perspective of a girl who’s had to close herself off and become “skeptical” to avoid being hurt, which is such an interesting story to explore. 

And as if it couldn’t get any better, our very own Wonyoung wrote it by herself! She told NYLON that she was inspired by her experiences in the entertainment industry and how people treat female idols, adding, “People in the world [are] very aggressive to us, so some girls choose an icy blue heart more than a warm red heart so you can be strong.” 

Speaking of songwriters, when you see a Lauren Aquilina writing credit on an IVE song, you know it’s destined to be a hit – see tracks like ‘Eleven,’ ‘Baddie,’ and ‘Either Way’ as proof. ‘Ice Queen’ is no different, while also showing us a different, icy side of the girls that highlights their power. It’s a fierce track building on the royalty motif we’ve seen on songs like ‘Royal,’ with refreshing verses and an addictive chorus drop that will draw you right in.

We think this would’ve also been a strong contender for the title track, and the “woo, ooh, ooh” lines remind us of the post-chorus of ‘Love Dive!’

“My heart is like dry ice, sub-zero temperature
An ice-cold, eerie queen…” 

Can we ever really have a summer without IVE giving us a sunny bop to have on repeat? Nope, and that’s where ‘WOW’ comes into play! It’s a cute love song that sees the icy, closed-off girls from earlier finally letting their guards down to let some warm light into their lives. We love to see it! And can we talk about those vocals for a second? Absolutely gorgeous! The producer said, “Take five,” and they heard “Change lives.” 

“How can we be so different?
Everything is the opposite, perfectly opposite…”

If ‘WOW’ is a breezy summer day, then ‘RESET’ is a beach party after dark with all your best friends! It’s IVE’s take on the South African Amapiano sound that’s been taking the world by storm, ending the EP on a shimmering note while saying goodbye to someone who didn’t treat them right. It’s a final moment of confidence to inspire Dives to see their worth and ‘RESET’ any situations that make them feel less.

“All night, your light text balloons floated by
I’ll burst them with a bang…” 

IVE totally pressed the ‘RESET’ button for this comeback, and it’s stunning to see how many concepts and themes they can successfully pull off! What was your favorite track on IVE SWITCH? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! 

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