IVE “Be Alright” Review

Another shorter review coming in for IVE’s “Be Alright”! I’ve always loved IVE—I feel like they have some of the smartest concepts of all the 4th-gen girl groups. And “Be Alright” does not disappoint. I love this concept. I love the idea of sisterhood and friendship, of reassurance and support, of positivity and optimism. I love how IVE portrays friendship here, how they assert that friends are people who will stick with you no matter what you’re going through. It’s such an uplifting, heartwarming portrayal.

I also love how they acknowledge failure and recognize how crushing it can feel. Seriously. Way too many K-pop center around themes like “world domination”, “I’m so cool”, “it’s so easy for me”, but that’s just not real life. It’s so awesome that they show Rei, our main character, encounter real rejection and disappointment and even show her lash out to her friends—I love how they humanize our idols, who often, unfortunately, get objectified by the industry. IVE does all that and still reassures us, with their bright voices and cheery smiles, that ultimately, it’s gonna “be alright”—creating a great, multifaceted theme and message.

The M/V resonated with me so much too. Its storytelling is so well done that it’s universal—I didn’t need any lyrics or translations to understand what was going on. I loved that scene where the girls acted crazy in the interview so Rei would stand out as the only good candidate. I also loved the mini cake storyline and how it symbolized forgiveness and understanding. I also loved that ending scene: I feel like it leaves the entire story open to interpretation. Is the Sisterhood Protocol just something that Rei watched on her computer, a motivational video of sorts? Or did those scenes, that support and reassurance she received in her room and at the interview, actually happen? I love when M/Vs give the audience a chance to bring their own reading into the story too.

The concept and M/V alone already put “Be Alright” in such solid standing. The rest of the song doesn’t lower that standing, but unfortunately, doesn’t massively improve it either. The English lyrics were memorable but simple, which is a necessary evil for a song like this—sometimes, there’s nothing more direct and reassuring than being told “it’s gonna be alright” over and over again. The music was bright and high-pitched, which suits IVE and this concept beautifully. The accompanying bass and drum set added nice flourishes, especially to the chorus. I just found the chorus a little chant-like—which, again, I suppose is a necessary evil for a motivational song like “Be Alright”.