Sindrom · Super President · National Girl Group.. IVE's Limitless Flight [★22nd Anniversary] ④

*This content was translated by AI.

[Editor’s Note] The fourth-generation K-pop idol groups have achieved dazzling results in the global music market, emerging as the new leading force of K-pop. Not content with simply inheriting the global influence built by their senior artists, including BTS, the leaders of the third generation, they are expanding it in their own unique ways, broadening the horizons of K-pop. Particularly noteworthy is that they have quickly risen to stardom within a relatively short period after debut. This demonstrates that K-pop is no longer limited to the success of certain artists but has established itself as a sustainable global music genre across generations. StarNews, on its 22nd anniversary, aims to explore the past, present, and future of fourth-generation K-pop idol groups that are making a dazzling impact in the global music market.

The era of fourth-generation K-pop girl groups has been more intense than ever before in history. At the heart of this storm-like sprint, the protagonist who wrote the most overwhelming narrative is undoubtedly the group IVE (IVE, An Yu-jin, Gaeul, Rei, Wonyoung, Liz, Leeseo).

With a bold ambition to "showcase everything we have," IVE emerged by shattering the existing idol formula of starting incomplete and growing into something complete. They triggered seismic shifts in the K-pop scene as a "completed group."

On its 22nd anniversary, StarNews examined IVE's past achievements since debut, their current self-proving presence on global stages, and the future that the six members are poised to open up anew.

On December 1, 2021, when IVE's debut song "ELEVEN" was released, the music industry received a fresh shock. Unlike previous girl groups that sang about innocent unrequited love, youth, freshness, or the pain of growth, IVE led with emotions captivated by their own image in love. This marked the starting gun for the so-called 'narcissism' worldview that swept through K-pop.

The core running through IVE's brilliant past is undoubtedly this narcissism. In the follow-up "LOVE DIVE," they sang of ecstasy with the intuitive message, "Hold your breath and dive into love." In "After LIKE," they reached the peak of confident self-assurance by declaring, "Do you know what my strength is? It's being honest."

Led by An Yu-jin and Wonyoung, who firmly captured public appeal, the six members—Gaeul, Rei, Liz, and Leeseo, each with distinct personalities—formed a perfect harmony, directly proving on stage that they are indeed a "completed group." This mega-hit trilogy left IVE with an impressive record of simultaneously winning rookie awards and grand prizes in their debut year. An Gi-neun (EVP)

Holding the title of "Grand Prize Winner" from their debut, IVE did not rest on their laurels. Their current focus lies beyond album sales or chart rankings, emphasizing their evolution into global 'performance powerhouses.'

Following their first world tour, "SHOW WHAT I HAVE," which visited 28 cities across 19 countries in Asia, the Americas, Europe, and South America, their recent second world tour, "SHOW WHAT I AM," demonstrated immense ticket power by drawing approximately 127,000 fans with performances alone at Osaka's Kyocera Dome and Tokyo Dome. Particularly, a band live performance at the major U.S. music festival 'Lollapalooza Chicago' became an iconic festival that cemented IVE as genuine powerhouse artists in both name and reality.

Just as impressive as their global stage performances is their reach across all generations, a powerful asset of IVE. Their unparalleled status is vividly proven at concert venues alongside the title 'Super President.'

Visiting an IVE concert reveals a scene vastly different from typical idol concerts. The adorable cheers of young fans, echoing loudly as if bursting through the audience seats, immediately make one understand why IVE is called the 'Super President.' From elementary school students visiting the venue with their parents' hands in theirs, excitedly attending the show, to parents sending their children alone to the seating area while handing over affectionate notes asking fellow attendees to look after their child—these heartwarming scenes are unique to IVE concerts.

Musical narratives continue to expand constantly. While early narcissism focused on intuitive confidence, through tracks like "I AM" and "HEYA," it gradually evolved into messages of proactive solidarity. Recent works bring up contradictory yet secret emotions inherent in everyone, adding three-dimensional depth to identity. This marks a leap forward for IVE as mature artists who move beyond fragmented self-love to evoke empathy from others.

When forecasting IVE's future, the most anticipated point is their co-growth with fans. The countless elementary school students who filled the audience will grow from adolescence into adulthood while listening to IVE's music. To become more than a fleeting idol for someone, remaining as innocent childhood memories and background music for youth is an immense blessing for any popular singer. With cross-generational mass appeal and a solid core fandom, IVE has ample potential to evolve from a sparkling star into a 'lifetime wannabe' that naturally permeates the lives of the public.

The musical direction is also expected to become even more approachable and expansive. If the confident self-love shown at debut left a strong first impression on the public, IVE will likely delve deeper into our daily lives in the future. They are expanding their spectrum with songs that anyone can easily resonate with and hum along to—festive tracks for joyful play, warm melodies offering small comfort after a tiring day. These could evolve into everyone's playlist, not exclusive to any specific generation or fandom, but uplifting whenever heard by chance while walking down the street.

The potential of each of the six members composing the group further fuels anticipation for IVE's tomorrow. From Wonyoung and An Yu-jin to Gaeul, Rei, Liz, and Leeseo, all members are already building their presence based on their distinct charms. Beyond being blue-chip variety show regulars or faces of global beauty and fashion brands, they have great potential to expand into acting, solo albums, and diverse creative activities in their own domains. By showcasing the quintessence of 'separate yet together,' IVE's synergy as icons indispensable in their respective fields will elevate the value of the name 'IVE' beyond imagination.

IVE, which once declared, "We will show what we have," has grown into a 'national girl group' that proved on stage within just a few years, "This is who I am." Every comeback, IVE has surpassed public expectations with perfect concepts. Within IVE's infinitely expanding universe, perhaps we have not yet witnessed their true prime.

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*This content was translated by AI.