On August 25 KST, Starship Entertainment’s girl group IVE made their much awaited comeback with the release of their fourth Korean extended play, ‘IVE SECRET.’ Deviating from their usual soft, elegant, and princess-like visual aesthetics, they adopted a more rebellious ‘Evil Cupid’ concept. The visual concept of the EP emphasizes the emotions hidden behind their glamorous appearances.
‘IVE SECRET’, released nearly seven months after their third EP ‘IVE EMPATHY’ in February 2025, takes on a bold new direction in both the group’s visual and sound aesthetics. Focusing on themes of self-love and self-confidence, the extended play marks the group’s transition from their initial youthful, vibrant, and princess-like elegance toward portraying a more mature, bold, and unapologetically self-assured era.
In this EP, IVE explores a moodier, darker, and more rebellious interpretation of their original message of polished, confident, and self-loving young women, while also showcasing their more mature side. In an interview with the Associated Press, IVE members reinforced the idea that self-love is the key to their confidence and identity.
‘IVE SECRET’ contains six tracks, including the title track ‘XOXZ’ and B-side tracks ‘Wild Bird’, ‘Dear, My Feelings’, ‘GOTCHA (Baddest Eros)’, ‘삐빅 (♡Beats)’, and ‘Midnight Kiss’, each endowed with its own unique charm.
The title track ‘XOXZ’ incorporates heavy 808 bass, brass sounds, and drums that accompany IVE’s signature dreamy vocals, driving home their renewed message. The transition is most visible here, as ‘XOXZ’ replaces the usual energetic pop sound prominent in the group’s title releases with rap-heavy verses and hip-hop vibes. The music video emphasizes the change in their visual aesthetics, featuring prominent futuristic, shadowy cyberpunk themes while still maintaining IVE’s signature charm.
The clever wordplay on the popular slang ‘XOXO’ and the creation of ‘XOXZ’ (meaning ‘I love you, good night, and see you in my dreams’) as the title track is a bold move, perfectly capturing their transformative concept.
‘Wild Bird’ sounds like an ‘for girls, by girls, to girls’ anthem. With a high-energy trap instrumental layered over lyrical and empowering songwriting, the song paints a beautiful scene, depicting “Like girls on wings.”
‘Dear, My Feelings’ features acoustic instruments and retro synths. The song does an excellent and straightforward job of conveying the message of loving and accepting one’s own feelings. It feels like a letter written from the present to the past self, like reading a diary after healing from repressed emotions and finally accepting yourself for who you truly are as a whole — the good and the bad, the happy and the sad.
‘GOTCHA (Baddest Eros)’ once again plays with heavy bass and brass sounds, accompanied by deep-toned rap and unique vocal tones full of attitude. It hits the beat with lyrics that perfectly capture the ‘Evil Cupid’ concept while also inducing a sense of mystery, as in the lines: “I’m a good girl, bad vibe, crazy / Yeah, I’m your worst nightmare, stuck in a dream like.”
‘삐빅 (♡Beats)’, read as ‘Beep Beep (heartbeats)’, has a fast-paced electronic dance-pop rhythm that blends futuristic themes through lyrical metaphors. It captures whimsical moments of life shaking in the digital era with a cheerful tone.
Whereas ‘Midnight Kiss’ is a love ballad full of yearning (“…Midnight kiss, I’m missing your lips…”), IVE’s dreamy vocals and lyrics paint a Cinderella-like fairytale scenario, which is on brand with their aesthetics. At the end of the day, a gentle wave of emotions is subtly expressed.
In addition, the songs ‘XOXZ’ and ‘Midnight Kiss’ credit group members Jang Won-Young and LIZ, respectively, as songwriters.
The album was well-received by fans, with the title track ‘XOXZ’ debuting at #32 on Melon within an hour of the album’s release. The music video also gained nearly 5 million views on YouTube in less than 24 hours. The album debuted at #1 on the Circle Album Chart’s weekly ranking, with 998,981 copies sold, making it their 7th album to achieve this. It also ranked #1 on the iTunes Album Chart across multiple countries.
Since their debut, IVE has delivered massive hits with every comeback. From their debut track ‘ELEVEN’ to fan favorites like ‘I AM’, ‘LOVE DIVE’, ‘After LIKE’, ‘Blue Blood’, ‘Off The Record’, and ‘ATTITUDE’, and now with the ‘IVE SECRET’ album and its title track ‘XOXZ’, the group has consistently presented music with meaningful messages and stylish performances. With this new comeback, they step into a new era. Breaking away from predictable narratives, the album brings hidden attitudes and a multidimensional identity to the surface.
‘IVE SECRET’ proves to be more than it seems for the girl group and their legacy. It marks the beginning of IVE’s transition. The sudden change in aesthetics has surely left many fans in a daze, garnering mixed reactions. Striking a perfect balance between their old personas and new style, the extended play can be seen as a bold move for the group—one that, since its release, has largely swung positively for IVE. As a rebranding effort with clear concepts and messages, the album delivers on its promises.
Written By: N.V.S. Akanksha
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