Released on Feb. 23, “REVIVE+” is the second full-length album of IVE, a K-Pop girl group from STARSHIP Entertainment, featuring the title track “BLACKHOLE,” the pre-release single “BANG BANG” and solo tracks of each of the six members. The album positions itself as a bold expansion of IVE’s established, grand “goddess” identity. Following the album release, IVE is set to continue their second World Tour, “Show What I Am,” which includes stops in North America, the UK, Europe and Asia.
The pre-release single unveiled on Feb. 9, along with the trailers, signals a darker and more forceful direction for the group. The dramatic trailers first familiarize the audience with the recurring electric guitar motif in “BANG BANG.” The guitar motif in minor key creates a mysterious, cinematic atmosphere, building up anticipation for a lady-killer concept.
Indeed, “BANG BANG” starts with the iconic motif echoing, as if placing listeners at a vast desert with wind blowing behind. The song opens with a rap paired with some sharp hyperpop type tones. However, listeners may surprisingly find out that “BANG BANG” actually has a stronger dance club music core: the punchy and slightly distorted four-on-the-four kick, as well as the sidechained bass in the chorus, create an addictive dancefloor vibe.
The pre-release arguably serves as a successful stylistic breakthrough, in that it portrays IVE as darker, more aggressive and more powerful. Considering IVE’s previous fairy Goddess style, however, it may also dilute the sophistication it tries to build with the trailers with simple, brainless dancing beats.
The title song, “BLACKHOLE,” furthers the experiment of IVE’s musical style. Starting with chopped, processed vocals, “BLACKHOLE” continues IVE’s musical traditions with powerful low ends and a wide feeling.
What is different from before is the sudden beat change happening in the pre-chorus. Before the beats come in, the verse is building up tension with loose kicks paired with a restless bass line. After a brief silence, the kick and snare come in with an unexpected new pattern that is similar to IVE’s previous tracks, like “I AM.” The post-chorus part even introduces one more new motif, the repeating “look at me” section, which feels a little forced. The beat switch is a novel attempt that creates a sense of weightlessness for listeners. Nevertheless, it can also be confusing, as lacking a consistent beat makes the title song feel fragmented and difficult for listeners to catch a central hook.
After the exposition of the title track and the pre-release, the rest of the group tracks suddenly turn to the B-Side, which is closer to IVE’s previous style. “Hush” starts with a group of sweet dreamy chords played by airy bell synths, the string staccato and moving beats creating a confident, attractive and slightly sexy atmosphere. An interesting cross reference is that there is a line whose high-pitched melody is similar to an iconic line in their previous title song “ATTITUDE” – just like blending the “Wonyoung spin” that went viral on social media into IVE’s choreography, STARSHIP’s attempt to exploit every popular moment of the girl group is seen.
“Stuck In Your Head” is even more dreamy and sweet, featuring vintage electric keyboard and vocal synths. “Fireworks” may make IVE’s fans feel nostalgic for being highly similar to IVE’s previous tracks – “I AM” specifically – grand and splendid like the ending piece of a movie or a concert.
It is not until the seventh track, “8”, the solo track of the iconic member Wonyoung, that the initial impression of “REVIVE+” is reminded. When a series of sweet pop and R&B almost make listeners forget the dark and powerful sensibility the album is trying to bring, the siren and the aggressive bass pull them out of the sweet dream.
Followed by “8”, the rest of the album are all solo tracks. Although “8” rewinds back to the cool battlefield feeling, “Odd” quickly jumps to a sunny afternoon with guitar chords. Then “Super ICY” goes on a more extreme hyperpop style with glitched vocals. The solo track of the Japanese member, REI, “In Your Heart,” is a lovely surprise for evoking Japanese anime senses.
Actually, the main problem of “REVIVE+” is already obvious so far: it is very fragmented. Even though individual tracks are well produced and pleasant to hear, the overall concept as an album remains unclear. Solo tracks match the member’s individual persona, but not necessarily the whole album concept; they feel like coming out of nowhere when they are positioned in a full-length album.
Undeniably, “REVIVE+” enriches IVE’s musical personality. Their music progresses to have more confidence, experiment, strength and impact, showing more than just their usual girly style. However, the inconsistency also points out STARSHIP’s choice of commercial and profitability over artistry – the album feels more like a collection of “good songs that can be popular,” rather than a product of cohesive artistic expression.
3/5
