Since K-Pop really blew up in the new millennium, with the advent of such groups as Girls’ Generation and later on, BTS, it is safe to say that the traditional concept of Western Pop music is now (potentially) under threat by interesting artists and groups from South Korea, despite the claims of many in the music world of K-Pop being quite trashy. This album release is by a fairly new girl group named IVE and was noted for some lead singles around the time which were quite popular. In any case, this is a fairly recent release at the time of writing and should be interesting to hear, so let’s just do that.

Blue Blood begins with a weird collage of electronic-based sounds and noises throughout, alongside some clear, pristine and good female singing. This is very much in the vein of other releases by K-Pop artists of the day and it follows a good sectionalised combination of sounds throughout, including a string section in the chorus. This sounds surprisingly aggressive throughout, and despite the laboured-sounding production work, this is actually a good listen for a K-Pop song. The name of the song and the lyrics suggest the reptilian nature of the girls on this album. A bit odd, but an interesting lyrical concept nonetheless. A short piece running at under three minutes long. Worth a listen.

I AM sounds dramatic and interesting from the beginning, with some fascinating and pseudo-symphonic Pop sounds and some good singing to match. This is another fairly consistent listening experience throughout. The chorus has a lovely and very memorable set of vocals sung nicely on this song, and the music evokes imaginative and excellent images coming to mind. There is also a bit of contemporary musical influence in the way of Trap beats and other Pop gestures of the day. The difference is that these songs are of quite a good quality to listen to, and they sound pretty and dramatic throughout. In any case, this is a really awesome and fresh-sounding listening experience that is worth your ears. The climax towards the end is audibly fantastic, and IVE delivers a life-affirming statement in a musical context.

Kitsch is one of the lead singles from this album. It begins with some weird loose wind instrument parts and launches into an upbeat, different and emotional listening experience throughout. The singing on this tune in particular is really nicely treated and edited here. The build-up to the chorus present is really fantastic, and the chorus itself is a catchy, wonderful and memorable listening experience. The verses sound really great as well, and this is quite frankly a postmodern masterpiece of K-Pop Music. Proof of the power and excellence of good music, if one can find it today. This is no doubt one of the better listens from South Korea in very recent times. The mixture of sounds, singing and editing is extremely unique and well done. Great song.

Lips begins with some clean, Fender Stratocaster-styled guitar parts and launches quickly into an upbeat and Poppy song that is really nicely produced and well delivered. Understandably, K-Pop is the sort of music that is very much best for screaming teenagers at concerts, but this is better than most releases from that genre in recent days. This is a cool, casual and interesting listening experience that sounds extremely wonderful. IVE also have great singing voices on this album, even if they have been heavily edited and treated throughout. The singing is multi-octave and widely ranged throughout. A pretty and different tune to listen to, even if it is a sell-out K-Pop song. Very good to hear.

Heroine sounds more dramatic than the previous songs from the very start. It has some unique and exploratory sonic sounds that sound professional, and which perfectly match these ladies’ singing voices. Understandably, this is not the sort of music one would wish to hear every day, but it is cleverly executed and delivered. The sounds include handclaps, treated vocals and other interesting electronic-based sounds. Nonetheless, this music does sound very, very good. Although BTS have broken up, it makes sense that female girl groups are becoming more prominent in K-Pop due to the circumstances behind BTS’s breakup. Still, this is a winner of a song and it does sound really good for what it is.

Mine is a much more Pop oriented piece than the previous tracks. It quickly launches into a really nice tune that is smooth and soothing. This eventually leads into a rather bit of a letdown musically, and it does not sound rewarding to listen to. A short, three-minute-long song having said that, it is just a rather moody piece that does not sound as good as the other songs on this album. Regardless, this is okay, but is the sort of thing Korean teenagers would listen to, rather than being a sensible listen for all. Still, these ladies have excellent singing voices and the music is well-crafted and constructed. It just sounds a bit off musically, and this is a bit of a letdown overall. In any case, it’s not outright bad, just disappointing. The song sounds emotionally vulnerable, particularly in the second half breakdown. This song ends quickly.

섬찟 (Hypnosis) sounds like something out of The Matrix in the intro, quickly launching into a piece of music that, again, doesn’t sound brilliant. This album shows its musically weaker side, and it begins to lose some of the magic by this point. There is a rather awful fuzz-heavy patch in the instrumental breaks. In any case, the music present is okay, but definitely not worth writing home about. In the second half are rapid-fire breakbeats, followed by a rather dull and painful listen to finish up with. The pseudo-Rapping is not really necessary here and ruins the track further.

NOT YOUR GIRL is a much better listening experience with upbeat guitar, and cheerful melodies and quickly enters into a good tune to listen to. This isn’t a million miles away from what has been done before in K-Pop, but it still retains its beauty, melodicism and freshness throughout. A good melodic tune to listen to and this is one of the more underrated pieces of music from this album release. In any case, this music is very good for what it is. The melodies, excellent singing and handclaps make this song sound extremely lively and gloriously positive. This sounds incredibly fun and joyous. IVE has constructed something euphoric here, and this should be on your K-Pop playlist if you have one. Worth hearing, this is one of the better cuts from this album.

궁금해 (Next Page) sounds softer and more melodic. It has some more moody and sentimental sounds about it and is a nice listen regardless. Not many people can appreciate K-Pop, but this very good album and the songs within make it a better listen than expected. All the same, this song is fairly straightforward music that does sound like great easy listening music, when the mood strikes. These ladies definitely have great singing voices, and the music throughout is really cool and fresh listening for such a song. It must be said that knowledge of the Korean language will help when hearing all forms of K-Pop, but even for other listeners, this is a soothing tune. A really nice listen from start to finish. Good to listen to.

Cherish begins with some pseudo-Rapping and excellent melodies that are straightforward, simple and catchy. IVE proves that they indeed, can sing away nicely. A cool tune with sturdy beats, upbeat Pop melodies and other production tricks that sound very good. A fresh and interesting tune, the producers and songwriters who assisted on this album are very clever about the music at hand and this album is genuine proof of that. A worthy listening experience, this music doesn’t really have a lengthy shelf life, but it is fun and enjoyable to listen to throughout. A sweet tune, this is one of the albums one should listen to if they ever travel to Seoul. It wraps up after three minutes with some awesome editing and singing to conclude.

Shine With Me begins with some rather textured and emotional singing about crying alone, quickly launching into an interesting music ballad with acoustic guitars. This sounds very sad and sweet, with layers of gorgeous production, great singing and a good set of twists and turns musically. The music throughout is very adventurous and pretty. The chorus in particular sounds extremely interesting throughout. It is clear that, at this point, IVE is onto something that is better quality and more interesting than many of their K-Pop contemporaries. In any case, this is a very good listen with string sections, stardust sounds and precise singing that works. An awesome listen from start to finish, and this ends the album nicely on a sweet note. Definitely worth listening to, and this album ends with some strange Electronic and Ambient sounds. Neat.

This album isn’t perfect. However, both by musical standards and K-Pop itself, this is a magical album for the most part that reveals IVE to be an enjoyable listening experience on this debut album. Although the quality of the music dips in the middle of the album, this certainly sounds very good. Should you listen to this album? Yes, provided that you are willing to get in touch with your own effeminate side in a musical sense.

A very decent listening experience.

8/10