Album Review: IVE SWITCH by IVE

Ice Queens IVE have arrived to save Quarter 2 of Kpop.

With internal politics and bad press threatening to burn down both NewJeans and LE SSERAFIM, IVE had a chance to swing for the kpop girl group crown and boy did they take it with new EP IVE SWITCH, released on April 29.

Who is producing for IVE and, to paraphrase Taylor Swift, what kind of narcotics are they putting in these songs? The answer to that question is Ryan Jhun, a Korean producer who got his start working with SM groups but has expanded to other labels. He’s produced some of my favorite records - Oh My Girl’s near perfect 2021 album Real Love, and one of my favorite singles of 2024 to date, CIX’s Lovers or Enemies. In recent years, he’s worked with lots of artists but he produces the most songs for IVE.

Under the guidance of Jhun, and unlike most of their other girl group competitors, IVE have unabashedly stuck with the formula and sounds that make Kpop girl groups immediately identifiable. They are beautiful, statuesque, elegant performers who will deliver you dance hooks and sweet tones over electronic beats. Think Red Velvet, not BlackPink.

Unlike last year’s full length LP I’ve IVE, this year’s IVE SWITCH is an EP of only 6 songs, about half the run time. I know, one thing we can’t give IVE points for is intelligible album titles. The title SWITCH surely refers to the changeup of IVE’s turn towards 90s hip hop with lead single HEYA, which interpolates the iconic 1996 Blackstreet hit “No Diggity.” Although it’s definitely a sonic shift for the group, it’s not necessarily a surprise. IVE’s interest in 90s sounds was first highlighted in last year’s Kitsch (in a typical Kpop move, the line “19’s kitsch” was “90s bitch” in the original version). It’s definitely interesting to hear IVE, a group with an “elegant” concept, experiment with the sound that is so beloved by other fifth gen girl groups. It works because IVE can pull off anything, but it’s not my favorite of their singles.

Not to worry, because the rest of the album is filled to the brim with songs much more in line with the IVE sound we are used to. Second lead single Accendio has all the hallmarks of a IVE banger with driving trap beats and some interesting production choices. The lyrics are also apt for IVE’s elegant ice queen concept - “Affectionate but cold as ice. Gonna make you crazy.” I quite enjoyed this song, even if I was a little turned off by the butchering of the Italian pronunciation of Accendio. And in a newer development, the music video really brings the song to the next level and I think this is quickly growing on me.

We really hit a groove with Blue Heart. At first I really hoped this song was a sequel to the truly excellent Blue Blood. It’s not, but a deeper look reveals that the lyrics are actually written by famous IVE member Wonyoung! It tells the story of a woman who destroys her normal red heart and is reborn instead with a frozen heart instead, saying “this blue heart doesn’t burn easily.” It’s not quite the level of Blue Blood but I do love to see members getting involved in their music.

The build that has been growing over the course of Accendio and Blue Heart reaches a peak with the absolute banger that is Ice Queen. “My heart is dry ice, the temperature is below zero, a queen as cold as ice.” YES GIRLS!!!! Give me frozen! I am seeing IVE in a month and I’m so excited to see this live.

The next song, WOW, is a bit of a rare misstep for IVE. It’s fine! But I think it’s a little too sweet and an odd departure from the ice queen concept that has been building throughout this album up to this point.

Finally, RESET dips its toes into the Afrobeats craze that is currently sweeping Kpop but succeeds where others have failed by sticking closer to tropical house and keeping IVE’s vocals light and sweet over the top. It’s reminiscent of Oh My Girl’s Eden (also produced by Jhun and one of my all time favorite songs). It doesn’t quite hit as hard as Eden, but the most important thing is that it feels like a Kpop track and IVE sound confident, not like cosplayers. The lyrics tease a former love interest and are really quite clever.

I think four of the six songs on this EP are lyrically and conceptually consistent and project an image of IVE as ice queens. I almost think the original title for this EP was something like I’ve ICE but then they worried that Accendio wasn’t a big enough statement for a comeback so they threw in Heya and called the EP SWITCH instead. I like Heya, but I think the EP might have been stronger without it. In any case, another album full of fun dance bangers from IVE that I’m excited to see live!

3.5/5 stars - recommend!