Release Date: April 29, 2024
Track Listing
- HEYA
- Accendio
- Blue Heart
- Ice Queen
- WOW
- RESET
Review
IVE’s second release of 2024 is their second EP, IVE SWITCH. The album features the songs HEYA and Acciendo as its title tracks.
HEYA has an instrumental that sounds like it would play to the strengths of the group’s rappers on first listen. After repeated listens, the track has enough room for the rappers and vocalists to get equal spotlight. This song’s strongest suit is its incredibly catchy sing-along hook that almost anyone can yell at the top of their lungs. HEYA is undoubtedly the type of song that would go over well in a live setting, with many people screaming along during the chorus.
Acciendo is the opposite of HEYA. With a more aggressive, dance music-oriented direction, it is arguably the better of the two title tracks. Its straightforward attack on the senses might appeal to some listeners more than HEYA.
The remaining songs on IVE SWITCH continue to place the group in heavy, rhythmic grooves, showing their versatility in adapting to different styles of music.
What stood out the most to me was Blue Heart. The first point about the song is the lyrics written by Wonyoung, which tell the story of a woman whose heart was reborn from a warm red to a cold blue one. The second is the drum and bass-style instrumental, which meshes very well with the lyrical content.
Ice Queen is the other album cut I often return to. The beat goes pretty hard, and the hook is infectious. It’s not as chant-inducing as HEYA, but it quickly gets stuck in your head. I also noticed Leeseo much more in this song. For some reason, her vocals caught my ear throughout.
As its title says, this album is a departure from what is generally expected of IVE’s music. Although there have been small glimpses of these types of songs throughout their discography, this would be the first time they have gone all in with these compositions on an entire album. With that said, IVE SWITCH is consistent front-to-back, and it’s hard to find fault with its songs.
