Group Ive

The group is composed of six members: Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, Wonyoung, Liz, and Leeseo. Ive is acknowledged for their catchy songs and exploration of themes of self-love in their music.

Ive
Ive in 2023 From left to right: Rei, Gaeul, Wonyoung, Yujin, Leeseo, and Liz
Background information
Origin	Seoul, South Korea
Genres	K-pop J-pop pop electronic EDM
Years active	2021–present
Labels	Starship Columbia
Members	Gaeul Yujin Rei Wonyoung Liz Leeseo
Website	ive-official.com

Ive made their debut on December 1, 2021, with the single album, Eleven. It was followed shortly with the single album, Love Dive, whose lead single became their first number-one song on the Circle Digital Chart. It was the best-performing single of the year and was awarded Song of the Year at the Asia Artist Awards, Golden Disc Awards, MAMA Awards, and Melon Music Awards. It was also the group's first song to reach the top ten on the Billboard Global Excl. US chart. Ive achieved their second number-one song with the lead single of their third single album, After Like. In 2023, the group released their first studio album, I've Ive to commercial success. It won Album of the Year at the Melon Music Awards and was accompanied by the number-one singles "Kitsch" and "I Am". The release was followed by their first extended play I've Mine, featuring their fifth number-one single "Baddie".

 

The group's name, Ive, stands for "I have". It alludes to the idea of showing what "I have" to the audience with confidence, where instead of telling the story of growth, the group tries to portray a "complete girl group" from the start.

2017–2021: Pre-debut activities

Wonyoung and Yujin participated in the reality competition series Produce 48 in 2018. Wonyoung finished in first place and Yujin finished in fifth place, respectively, becoming members of the project girl group Iz*One. They promoted with the group until its disbandment on April 29, 2021.

In 2017, Gaeul participated in the preliminaries of the Incheon Dance Competition, she was selected to audition on the spot and became a trainee under Starship Entertainment. In 2018, Rei joined Starship Entertainment after passing at the Loen Friends Global Audition in Japan. Rei's audition caught the judges' attention with her distinct voice. In May of that year, she came to Korea and started training. Leeseo was part of the SM Kids model. Liz got cast in the 2019 Starship Open Audition and became a trainee under Starship Entertainment.

2021: Introduction and debut with Eleven

On November 2, Starship Entertainment announced that they would be debuting a new girl group, their first since WJSN in 2016. The members were revealed from November 3 to 8 (in order: Yujin, Gaeul, Wonyoung, Liz, Rei, and Leeseo). On November 8, Starship confirmed that the group would debut on December 1, followed two days later by the announcement of the title of the group's first single album as Eleven. On December 1, the group released their debut single album, Eleven, led by the single of the same name. The group made their broadcast debut on KBS2's Music Bank on December 3, performing "Eleven".

 

On the Billboard charts dated the week of December 14, "Eleven" ranked at number nine on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart and charted on the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. US charts for fourteen consecutive weeks. The song also topped Billboard's Hot Trending Songs chart, debuting atop the Top User Generated Songs chart of Billboard Japan, and entered the Japan Hot 100 chart. Meanwhile, Ive charted on the Billboard Artist 100 for the first time. "Eleven" peaked at number two on both the Circle Digital Chart and Streaming Chart in South Korea.

On December 8, exactly one week after their debut, Ive earned their first music show win on MBC M's Show Champion, making them the fastest girl group to win first place since debut. "Eleven" went on to win on music shows 13 times, including a triple crown on KBS2's Music Bank, MBC's Music Core, and SBS' Inkigayo. In addition, Eleven recorded the most album sales in its first week of release for girl group debut albums. In January of the following year, Ive performed a sending-off stage in Olympic Hall for the national athletes of the South Korean delegation to the 2022 Winter Olympics. The music video for "Eleven" surpassed 100 million views on March 8, 2022. As of July 2023, "Eleven" has spent a total of 86 consecutive weeks charting on the Circle Digital Chart. Later on Insider named Ive's "Eleven" as one of the best debut songs of all time in K-pop.

2022: Love Dive, After Like, and Japanese debut

On April 5, Ive released their second single album, Love Dive, led by the single of the same name. One week after release, the song went viral and reached 200M views for its TikTok challenge. "Love Dive" ascended to number one on the Circle Digital Chart, becoming their first number-one song in South Korea. The single also drew 28.9 million streams and sold 2,800 outside the U.S. in its first full tracking week. On the Billboard chart dated April 23, "Love Dive" ascended to number 10 on the Global Excl. US chart, becoming the group's first song to reach the top 10. It spent a total of 29 consecutive weeks charting on the Billboard Global Excl. US chart. "Love Dive" also peaked at number 9 on the Apple Music Global chart. The music video for the song surpassed 100 million views on June 15. "Love Dive" ranked number one on both Melon Yearly Chart and Circle Digital Yearly Chart. With the group's commercial success "Love Dive" was awarded Song of the Year on various award shows, including on the MAMA Awards, Melon Music Awards, Golden Disc Awards, and Asia Artist Awards. The group was also awarded Best Female Group and Best New Artist on Melon Music Awards, Rookie Artist of the Year on Golden Disc Awards, they also won various year-end music awards on Genie Music Awards, Circle Chart Music Awards, and Seoul Music Awards.

 

On May 14 and 15, Ive performed at Kpop.Flex in Frankfurt, Germany held at the Deutsche Bank Park, marking the group's first ever overseas performance. A month later, Ive performed at the Jamsil Stadium in Seoul as part of the line-up for 28th Dream Concert.

On July 18, Starship Entertainment announced that Ive would make a comeback in August with their third single album, After Like. It was released alongside the lead single of the same name on August 22. "After Like" samples the hit single "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor. "After Like" topped the charts and ascended to number one on the Circle Digital Chart, earning the group their second number-one song in South Korea. The music video for "After Like" accumulated 57 million views on YouTube in 3 days of its release. The song ascended at number 9 on the Billboard Global Excl. US chart and peaked at number 23 on the Spotify Global chart. The song also became the group's first song to achieve a Perfect all-kill, a music chart achievement where a song simultaneously charts number one on the real-time, daily, and weekly charts of South Korea's various music streaming platforms, including MelOn, Bugs, Genie Music, and YouTube Music. "After Like" went on to win on music shows 14 times, becoming the song with the most music show wins that year. The album later sold over 1,700,000 album copies.

On August 10, it was announced via Ive's official Japanese website that they will make their Japanese debut sometime in fall 2022. On September 8, it was announced that Ive would be releasing the Japanese version of "Eleven" on October 19. The music video for the Japanese version of "Eleven" was pre-released on September 19. Released on October 19, the single album Eleven -Japanese version- consisted of "Eleven" and b-side "Queen of Hearts," Ive's first Japanese-language original song. The album sold 88,312 copies in its first week on Billboard Japan, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. On October 15, Ive performed during Day 2 of KCON Japan at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. On November 16, Ive released "After Like" Holiday Remix, they participated in Spotify's annual "Spotify Holiday Single", which consists of project songs presented by various artists directly selected by Spotify ahead of the year-end Christmas season. Ive is the first Korean group artist to participate in the annual Holiday Singles project, reinterpreting their song as a new holiday remix version and exclusively releasing it on Spotify worldwide. In November 26, Ive won their first daesang (grand prize) award for Song of the Year at the 2022 Melon Music Awards. Later on, they won three more daesang on various award shows. On December 20, 2022, it was announced that Ive would appear on the cover of the January 2023 issue of Vogue Korea, becoming the fifth group to cover Vogue Korea, following BigBang, Exo, Blackpink, and BTS.

2023: I've Ive, touring, and I've Mine

On January 16, 2023, Ive released their second Japanese single "Love Dive", a re-recording of their Korean single of the same name. From February 11 to 24, 2023, Ive embarked on the first leg of their first solo tour, The Prom Queens, which visited Seoul, Yokohama, and Kobe in six sold-out dates.

 

On March 16, it was announced that Ive would be releasing their first studio album, I've Ive, on April 10. Ive members have writing credits with 7 of their 11 songs on their full-length album I've Ive. The group pre-released a single from the album, titled "Kitsch", on March 27, which debuted at number one on the Circle Digital Chart. The song became their second song to achieve a Perfect all-kill on Korean music charts. On March 24, it was announced that the group had signed with Columbia Records, a label under Sony Music, for promotion in United States as part of Kakao Entertainment, the parent company of Starship Entertainment, partnership with the label. On April 1, it was announced that Ive would be releasing their first Japanese extended play titled Wave on May 31. A week later, Ive performed at Music Bank in Paris held at the Paris La Défense Arena, France.

On April 10, Ive released their first full-length album I've Ive, alongside the lead single "I Am". "I Am" ascended to number one on the Circle Digital Chart, becoming their third song to achieve a Perfect all-kill on Korean music charts. The two singles "I Am" and "Kitsch" in their first studio album, I've Ive, both of which achieved Perfect all-kill, made I've Ive the first K-pop girl group album to have two songs with Perfect all-kill (PAK) since 2NE1 in 2011. On April 11, Starship Entertainment announced that member Rei would temporarily suspend activities due to health reasons. On May 9, Ive pre-released "Wave", the lead single of their upcoming Japanese album of the same name. On May 26, Starship Entertainment announced that Rei would return from hiatus after a month of inactivity. On May 31, Ive's first Japanese EP Wave debuted at number one on Oricon's daily album chart, and then debuted at number one on Oricon's weekly album charts. It also debuted at number one on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. From June 17 to July 9, Ive completed the second half of their first solo tour, The Prom Queens, which consisted of six stops across Southeast Asia and Taiwan. The Asia tour attracted a total attendance of 97,000 spectators. On July 13, Ive released their promotional single, titled "I Want" in collaboration with Pepsi. In July 22, Ive performed at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain as part of the line-up for K-pop Lux SBS Super Concert.

On July 27, it was announced that Ive is preparing for a comeback in October. In August, it was announced the group would embark on their first world tour, Show What I Have, beginning in October. Building anticipation for their comeback in the same month, Ive will unveil their new album for the first time during the first stop of their world tour. On September 3, it was announced they would be releasing their first Korean-language extended play titled I've Mine on October 13. The EP will feature three title tracks, with two of them to be pre-released, namely "Either Way" on September 25 and "Off the Record" on October 6. The third title track "Baddie" would be released alongside the entire EP. All three singles charted within the top 15 of Circle Digital Chart, with "Baddie" peaking at number 1 and becoming the group's fourth single to achieve a Perfect all-kill on Korean music charts.

On November 9, Live Nation Entertainment announced the group's first global outing – 1st World Tour ‘Show What I Have’. The 24-date world tour is set to visit various cities across Southeast Asia, North America, Europe, the U.K., South America, Eastern Asia and Australia. On November 10, it was confirmed that Liz would be part of a special collaboration single "Nobody" with (G)I-dle's Soyeon and Aespa's Winter, which was released on November 16.

2024–present: Ive Switch

On January 19, 2024, Ive released their first English-language digital single "All Night", featuring Saweetie. The track is a remix of "All Night" by Icona Pop. The music video was shot at 222 W 6th St in San Pedro, a neighbourhood in Los Angeles. On March 4, the group, along with Monsta X and its agency, had their YouTube channel hacked and all renamed to "SpaceX". On March 29, it was announced that they would be singing the new opening theme song "Will" for Pokémon Horizons.

On April 3, it was officially announced that Ive would be releasing their second extended play Ive Switch on April 29.

On April 12, "Will" was released on various music distribution platforms, and the opening video was released on Pokémon's official YouTube channel.

Ambassadorship

In September 2022, Ive was appointed as ambassador for the Korean Red Cross' annual "Everyone Campaign" to promote volunteering.

Endorsements

In August 2022, Ive appeared as a model for SK Telecom's "V Coloring", a subscription-based video ringback tone service. In January 2023, Ive was selected as model for the "2023 Pepsi Project", a collaboration between Starship Entertainment and Pepsi. The same month, Ive was chosen as the new model for Papa John's Pizza. In April, they became a model for Kwangdong Pharmaceutical's corn silk tea. In June, Ive became the ambassadors of Puma in the Asia and Pacific. On July 13, the group released the promotional single "I Want" in collaboration with Pepsi.

Philanthropy

On February 14, 2023, Ive and Starship Entertainment donated 150 million KRW to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association for emergency relief efforts after the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

Musical style and lyrical themes

Ive's music is characterized by a blend of textured electronic instrumentation, catchy melodies, and dynamic beats. Since their debut in late 2021, the group has demonstrated versatility in exploring various genres, including pop, dance, nu-disco, and R&B. Their songs often feature layered synths, house flourishes, and sophisticated production techniques. Their lyrics often explore introspective themes of identity, self-perception, and self-love. Through tracks like "Either Way" and "My Satisfaction," they confront the complexities of personal growth and empowerment. Additionally, they touch upon "relatable" themes of insecurity and self-discovery.

Style and concept

In terms of style, Ive exudes a chic and sophisticated aura, reminiscent of characters from teen dramas like Cher Horowitz and Blair Waldorf. This "chaebol-crush" image, referencing their "untouchable charm" and elegance, has become synonymous with the group's identity. The group consists of six members which each member brings a "unique vocal style" and personality to the group, contributing to their dynamic sound. Their collective presence symbolizes confidence and self-assurance, reflected in their name, which is a contraction of "I have."

In January 2022, Ive was selected as the most anticipated K-pop artist of the year by 31 of the most popular music agency experts from different entertainment companies. In November 2022, as part of its 18th year of publication, JoyNews24 conducted a survey on 200 entertainment industry officials to determine the "Artist of the Year," for which Ive ranked first on the list. In the same month, Shibuya109 Lab, which is a youth marketing institute run by Shibuya109 Entertainment in Japan, conducted a survey with a report titled "Next Generation K-Pop Idols" for women age 15 to 24 years old. Ive took first place in the list, mentioning the attention for their song, fashion, and pose.

In December 2022, Ive was selected as "Best Singer of the Year" and placed second for "Rookie of the Year" by executives of 33 pop music officials from various entertainment companies. In the same month, Zsouken Research Institute conducted a survey for the second half of 2022 on who are the most popular artists in Japan for Generation Z, in which Ive ranked at number five, the highest act outside Japan, garnering 12.3% of votes among 120,000 participants. Ive was also listed on Forbes Korea Power Celebrity 40 in 2023.

Since the group's debut they have won various awards, including four MAMA Awards, seven Melon Music Awards, five Golden Disc Awards, six Circle Chart Music Awards, two Seoul Music Awards, and MTV Video Music Awards Japan. Ive has won Rookie of the Year, Best Female Group, and Song of the Year on various award shows.

Adapted from Starship Entertainment's website:

• An Yu-jin (안유진) – leader, dancer, vocalist
• Gaeul (가을) – dancer, rapper
• Rei (레이) – rapper, vocalist
• Jang Won-young (장원영) – vocalist
• Liz (리즈) – vocalist
• Leeseo (이서) – vocalist

• I've Ive (2023)

Music videos

Other videos

Web shows

Ive the First Fan Concert "The Prom Queens" Tour

Show What I Have World Tour

Other selected live performances