IVE - "Off The Record" + "Baddie" + "Either Way" MV Review (+ a short I've Mine review)

IVE (라이즈) is a Starship girl group that debuted on December 1, 2021, and consists of 6 members: Yujin (ex-Iz*One), Gaeul, Rei, Wonyoung (ex-Iz*One), Liz and Leeseo. 

"Either Way" (pre-released on September 25), "Off The Record" (pre-released on October 6), and "Baddie" are the title tracks of their first Korean mini album I've Mine released on October 13, 2023. 

-I will review the songs in the same order as they appear in the mini album-

"Off The Record"

"Off The Record" is a chill song, but not in a boring way. I can't get the chorus out of my head. 

I loved the entire song a lot;, the pre-chorus, chorus, third verse, and bridge (especially the part of the bridge that sounds like the chorus of "Lovefool" by The Cardigans) are phenomenal.

I love the instrumental ﹘ the bass sounds fantastic. I found the intro of the instrumental really interesting; the note progression is odd ﹘ it sounds similar to when you play a song backward. 

The music video is fantastic; I loved the different types of love depicted. In my interpretation, Yujin is getting over a heartbreak, Gaeul is fantasizing about dating her crush, who is with someone else, Wonyoung has anxiety about a new relationship (or dating in general), but the walls in her heart start to shatter when she sees a new guy that is like her, and Leeseo is hopeful about a growing love that bears fruit in the end. I didn't understand Rei and Liz's scenes 😅. I got really invested in Leeseo's scenes; they are so cute.

Style-wise, the outfits look great. My favorite look is Yujin's black sequin romper with the jacket, it looks so chic and Yujin's haircut enhances it. I also liked the sleepover outfits, especially Wonyoung's.

Rating

Song – 10/10

MV – 10/10

Style – 10/10

Overall Rating – 10/10

Song Credits

Release Date: October 6, 2023.

Length: 3 min 09 sec.

Lyrics by: Seo Ji-Eum.

Music by: Ryan S. Jhun, Sivert Hagtvet Hjeltnes, Bård Bonsaken, and Hilda Stenmalm.

Arrangement by: Ryan S. Jhun and Sivert Hagtvet Hjeltnes.

MV Directed by: Lee Hye-In.

"Baddie"

"Baddie" at 2:34 is a bit too short and relies too much on its hook, but the rest of the song is just there, unlike IVE's previous main releases like "Love Dive" and "I Am" which catch your attention the first time you listen to them.

The "Imma baddie baddie baddie pretty little risky baddie" in the chorus is catchy, but I find the high-pitched synth to be a tad annoying and that lowers the enjoyment of that part a little.

The MV reminds me of some of Red Velvet's MVs and also some scenes made me think of a dark-sided sister of WJSN Chocome's "Super Yuppers!". I love the cat imagery throughout the MV but that pink cat-truck that runs (drives?) through the store is a bit weird for my taste. 

Style-wise, the outfits are not too bad, but I only found the grey outfits pretty ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. 

By the way, this MV made me notice how much Rei looks like Hyuna, it might be the makeup, though.

Sorry if I'm a bit biased, but I have a black cat so that bumps the rating a little. I just can't help it, my cat told me to do it. 

Rating

Song – 6/10

MV – 8/10

Choreography – 7/10

Style – 6/10

Cat – 10/10

Overall Rating – 7/10

Song Credits

Release Date: October 13, 2023.

Length: 2 min 34 sec.

Lyrics by: Big Naughty, Perrie, and Ryan S. Jhun.

Music by: Ryan S. Jhun, Christopher Smith, Fin Dow-Smith, and Lauren Aquilina.

Arrangement by: Ryan S. Jhun, Fin Dow-Smith, and Risc.

MV Directed by: Lafic.

"Either Way"

"Either Way" is not my cup of tea; I found the song so boring it almost put me to sleep. Still, I like it a bit more than "Baddie." I didn't like the "Guh uh uh uh uhd" part in the chorus ﹘ it sounds awful to my ears. Not everything is bad about "Either Way," the IVE members sound great in this song, and I enjoyed the instrumental. 

The MV looks nice but is as boring as the song, sorry. Still, I love the scenes with the heart-shapped lightning.

Style-wise, I like the outfits in this music video. My favorite looks are is Wonyoung's chain dress and her sky-blue t-shirt and white shorts, especially when she is wearing the blonde wig ﹘ it's a super simple outfit, but it looks so nice. I also love the pearl necklace and blue wig Rei wears. 

Rating

Song – 7/10

MV – 7/10

Style – 9/10

Overall Rating – 7.5/10

Song Credits

Release Date: September 25, 2023.

Length: 2 min 47 sec.

Lyrics by: Sunwoo Jung-A.

Music by: Ryan S. Jhun, Luke Fitton, Lauren Aquilina, and Liam O'Donnell.

Arrangement by: Ryan S. Jhun and Luke Fitton.

MV Directed by: Yu Kwang-Goeng.    

"Holy Moly"

Length: 2:57.

Lyrics: Seo Ji-Eum.

Music: Ryan S. Jhun, Peter Rycroft, Lauren Aquilina, and Clarance Coffee Jr.

Arrangement: Ryan S. Jhun and Peter Rycroft.

"Holy Moly" is a great song, especially the instrumental; the different beats are so fantastic. I love how the song gets busier as it goes on. The part where Wonyoung sings after the bridge reminds me so much of "Eleven."

Rating – 10/10

"OTT"

Length: 2:37.

Lyrics: Wonyoung.

Music: Ryan S. Jhun, Gustav Nyström, Von Tiger, and Canto.

Arrangement: Ryan S. Jhun and Gustav Nyström.

The intro of "OTT" made me think it was going to be a dull song, but I'm glad it's not. The chanting-like post-chorus and the pre-chorus are superb. 

I think "OTT" goes hand in hand with "Off The Record."

Rating – 10/10

"Payback"

Length: 3:08.

Lyrics: Big Naughty, YOUNG (MUMW), and Ryan S. Jhun.

Music: Ryan S. Jhun, Willie Weeks, Ryan Curtis, and Maddie Duke.

Arrangement: Ryan S. Jhun and Willie Weeks.

Same as "OTT," I thought the song was going to be dull and boring, but it's not. Although this song is good, I don't like it as much as the other songs I rated 10. I feel like it's missing something.

Rating – 8/10

Final Thoughts

I've Mine is a good mini album, but super short with only two songs barely passing the 3-minute barrier. The songs that shined the most in this mini album for me were "Off The Record," "Holy Moly," and "OTT." In my opinion, they should have chosen "Off The Record" or any other song as the comeback instead of "Baddie," but alas ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Overall I've Mine Rating – 8.5/10

Photo source: Starship Ent.