IVE’s concept is actually genius. Like, break-the-industry, in-it-for-the-long-haul genius. There’s a reason why they’ve been the solid, go-to 4th-gen girl-group for so long…

I like to think of girl group concepts as being on a spectrum: all of them fall somewhere between two extremes. On one extreme, you’ve got the cute-girl concept–the sugary, oppa-calling sweet girls (think TWICE). Or, on the other extreme, you’ve got the girl crush concept–the in-your-face, emo/goth world-domination badass women (think BABYMONSTER or early LE SSERAFIM). 

However, the most successful girl groups often lie…somewhere in the middle of this spectrum. There’s a reason why TWICE has been shifting towards more confident concepts lately…the sweet-girl concept just feels too artificial and (frankly) against the current of time. But there’s also a reason why BLACKPINK’s later songs were not as well received…they leaned so heavily into the girl-crush concept that their supposed strength felt superficial and contrived. 

IVE’s success, then, comes from landing smack in the middle of the girl-group spectrum. Specifically, their concept, to sum it up in one word, is all about elegance. 

IVE’s girls simply profuse beauty and coolness in a laid-back, composed manner. It’s a perfect sweet-spot blend of both extremes. Actually, not just that–it’s a perfect blend of the best of both extremes and that just so happens to also omit the worst of both extremes. IVE’s elegance relies, aesthetically, on conformity to conventional beauty standards–the exact same thing, like it or not, that has made the cute-girl concept so widely popular. However, their elegance isn’t grounded in people-pleasing or men-attracting–instead, their elegance exudes self-confidence, avoiding the cringy performativeness of the cute girl-concept and taking advantage of the admirable confidence of the girl-crush concept. But their self-confidence isn’t dogmatic–avoiding the in-your-face flouting and the broken-record “I’m so cool” lyrics common to girl-crush groups, IVE is much more nonchalant in their presentation of their confidence. A few broad smiles, a few elevated stage performances is all it takes for them to “prove” their confidence, allowing them to artfully avoid the superficiality that often comes with over-reliance on the girl-crush concept. IVE’s concept is so impartial that they’re able to create deeply nuanced and thought-provoking presentations of women and feminism, which makes me love and respect them so much. 

That’s not the only reason why I admire their concept so much, though. IVE’s concept has allowed them to achieve another thing that very few bands have–versatility.

Too many girl groups (or any group, for that manner) pursue a concept too…concrete. There’s a set aesthetic, a set sound that must be created for a song to even feel like a part of that group’s discography. NMIXX pursued Mixxpop to the point where even high-quality ear-pleasers sounded inauthentic to their brand. Early aespa pursued the Kwangya concept to the point where the inevitable “naevis, we love you” bridge felt laughably forced.

But for IVE? Elegance is a vibe, not an aesthetic or sound. There’s no set image or noise that’s associated with elegance…it’s just a trait, an aura. These vague boundaries have given IVE so much range…

Golden-firework sing-along pop (“Eleven,” “I AM,” “After Like”) feels naturally IVE…

High-fantasy fairytale dramas (“XOXZ,” “Heya,” “Accendio”) also feel distinctly IVE…

And even dark academia (“Attitude”) feels genuinely IVE.

In other words, their elegance concept has solved one of the biggest marketing dilemmas of any band: how do we consistently put out new music that’s fresh and different but also familiar enough that it still sounds like an organic production of our own brand? With the versatility of elegance, IVE can explore so many different genres and aesthetics without their direction feeling random. They can confidently put out comeback after comeback and know that they’re attracting both new listeners and loyal DIVEs back to their music.

I have so much respect for IVE. Comeback after comeback, they sweep the charts with the same casually confident elegance that their music promotes. Whoever came up with this concept needs to get a big fat raise from STARSHIP–because elegance is genuinely the smartest, most marketable, least offensive, and the killer 4th-gen girl-group concept.

⋆˙ we love IVE 😀 ⋆˙