Ive Is Leading K-Pop’s Next Wave

Ask 17-year-old Wonyoung to describe Ive’s concept, and the singer will tell you the rising girl group is pioneering its own aesthetic: chaebol crush. “It means rich,” she explains to Elite Daily, adding with a smile, “but crush, you know?”

Just eight months into their careers, Ive’s members have carved out their own identity among the countless idol groups vying for attention. Their discography, albeit small, is pure pop perfection. Their mesmerizing debut “Eleven” was an instant hit, racking up 13 music show wins in South Korea and becoming wholly inescapable on TikTok (to date, the song has more than 154 million streams on Spotify); their captivating, more atmospheric second single, “Love Dive,” brought them to the top of Korea’s digital charts. They are what the Korean entertainment industry likes to call “monster rookies,” selling nearly half a million albums in one day. A large part of the charismatic sextet’s appeal is how they seamlessly blend the elite, preppy vibes of South Korea’s untouchable upper crust with the bold confidence of K-pop’s “girl crush” movement.

But the members of Ive aren’t letting the success get to their heads. On stage, they may look like debutantes, but they don’t act like them. “We try to stay grounded and humble,” Wonyoung says over Zoom. It’s a late August evening, and she’s joined by her fellow members Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, Liz, and Leeseo in a conference room at their company’s Gangnam headquarters in Seoul to talk about their new single, “After Like.” Dressed down in T-shirts and casual attire, they look like normal, down-to-earth teenage girls — oldest member Gaeul is 19, while the youngest, Leeseo, is 15. They’re typical Gen Zers; Gaeul is a patron of Barbiecore (her iPhone case reads “Barbie” in bold, pink script), and Leeseo’s wired headphones lay on the table in front of her.

Ive refer to this duality as their “charming point”: Despite the glam, sophisticated image they project on stage, they never appear cold or aloof; their warmth is what people find so endearing. Any praise is often met with a chorus of honeyed thank yous. They’re confident, yet appreciative.

This energy is reflected best on their latest track, which dropped earlier this week. “After Like” is a bright, propulsive call to the dance floor, featuring a hefty sample from Gloria Gaynor’s iconic disco anthem “I Will Survive.” The song, Wonyoung says, “conveys the message that we should be bold and honest when it comes to love.” Rather than overthink, dancer Gaeul reiterates, just do. It’s a continuation of Ive’s signature message: express yourself, freely and assuredly.

The kind of love Ive sing about is decidedly open for interpretation, but the more potent read is that they're referring to self-love. In “Love Dive,” Wonyoung sings, “narcissistic, my God, I love it” as she gazes into her hand as if looking in a mirror. It’s not surprising that Ive’s music resonates with a generation of young people. “I think our confident lyrics are the key point of our songs,” leader Yujin says. “A lot of people say that they gain confidence from our music, so it motivates us to work even harder.”

The ethos of their music also inspires the members to practice what they preach. “When I first debuted, I got really nervous [on stage],” Gaeul says. “I was scared to perform in front of people, but now that I have experience, I’ve gained a lot of confidence. In that way, I’ve grown and improved a lot.” It’s something that Yujin sees within herself as well. “I think that happens when I perform our songs,” the 18-year-old says. “I’m becoming a more confident person.”

It’s an honest confession for Yujin to make, as someone who’s spent the past four years more or less in the spotlight. Both Yujin and Wonyoung participated in the survival show Produce 48 and were part of its resulting girl group IZ*ONE. Being part of a girl group with a definite end date — their contracts lasted from 2018 to early 2021 — meant that they got a crash course in idol life and its relentless pace. They feel the most comfortable in an interview setting. It also afforded them a great deal of success early on in their careers. On her 14th birthday, Wonyoung placed first on Produce 48, making her the group’s official center. She became South Korea’s national sweetheart.

“To be honest, I was a baby,” Wonyoung says about that surreal moment in time. “I was really cheerful and had a very cute personality. I feel like as I’ve grown, that cute personality has matured a lot.” She insists, “I’m maturing!” And her star has only intensified. She’s the face of Miu Miu; an ambassador for numerous brands, including fine jewelry maison Bvlgari and K-beauty titan Innisfree; and one of the MCs of Music Bank, a weekly music show on national broadcast station KBS. Meanwhile, Yujin recently appeared in Versace’s Spring-Summer 2022 global campaign and has an endorsement deal with Pepsi; Rei is the muse of skin care brand Bonajour; and striking vocalist Liz starred in Olive Young’s vegan beauty campaign. Gaeul and Leeseo recently appeared in photo spreads for Elle Korea and Marie Claire Korea, respectively.

So how do K-pop’s most booked and busiest teens find time for themselves? “It’s very hard to find free time in our schedules,” Wonyoung says. “I’m always thinking about work-life balance.” She’s learned to appreciate the liminal moments, where for a few minutes she can sip a cup of hot tea or drink an iced Americano and take a breath. “A little thing can be refreshing for me, so I’m trying to find my tiny [bits of] happiness throughout my day.” And when schedules are over, that’s when Wonyoung retreats to her own space. “I listen to music, and reflect on my day,” she says. “It’s how I recover and make my mind healthy.”

Each member finds that time in her own way. Rei, the group’s bubbly Japanese rapper, enjoys her time alone in the group’s shared dorm, where she often unwinds with a book of poetry and SZA’s Ctrl on repeat. Soft-spoken Liz also cherishes her alone time. Recently, she’s made “half-baths” part of her self-care routine. “That’s my happiness,” she says. As the team’s designated foodie, Gaeul finds happiness while “eating delicious food” or in the pages of a mystery novel. (“She loves spicy foods,” Wonyoung adds.) For Yujin, there’s nothing that a little retail therapy can’t fix. “I love shopping,” she gushes. Outgoing Leeseo likes to pick up various hobbies. She enjoys the process of trying new things. Her current obsessions? The legal drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo and Girls’ Generation’s latest album, Forever 1.

It’s in these quieter moments that the members of Ive get to act their ages. “When I’m with my friends, I’m a normal teenager,” Gaeul says. They feel the most themselves when they’re together, too. They have an “easy” chemistry, explains Wonyoung. Living together helps, learning how to coexist with different personalities and talk through issues, but the reality is that they’re growing closer because of the unusual circumstances in which they exist.

When you experience such a rapid ascension to the top, the only people who really understand what it’s like are the ones you spend every day with, the ones who endure the midnight hours in the practice room alongside you, who understand just how revitalizing five minutes of quiet can be, who feel the same gratitude you do.

“Rather than feeling pressured,” Wonyoung says of Ive’s success, “we try our best to be thankful.”