IVE have spoken to NME about their upcoming debut UK concert, covering Little Mix on tour and the confident messages behind their latest EP, ‘IVE Switch’. Check out our conversation with the girl group below.
The K-pop six-piece will headline London’s The O2 on Sunday (June 16), with the performance marking the only UK stop on the European leg of their Show What I Have world tour. The dates kicked off in Seoul last September and have seen the Starship Entertainment group perform across Asia and the US so far.
Reflecting on the American leg of the tour, singer Wonyoung shared that one stop of the run was particularly special for her.
“I really loved the show in Atlanta because I went there with my family before,” she said, referring to a period of her youth when her family was located in the Georgia city. “So I already had great memories there, but this time I went with my members, so it was another [kind of] excitement”.
During the tour so far, IVE have surprised fans with new versions of their previous releases – like a rock version of their 2022 b-side ‘Royal’ – giving them fresh makeovers that elevate the live experience. “With the concert version of the songs, they become more fun [for us],” rapper Gaeul explained. “It’s a lot more fun for the DIVEs [IVE’s fanbase] too, [so we can] just enjoy and have fun together.”
As well as refreshed takes on their own material, the group’s setlists on tour have included a variety of cover songs, including tracks by Ariana Grande, NIKI, Richard Sanderson, Lee Hi and Crush. Although IVE have changed up which songs they cover at different stops, they told NME they would be keeping their versions of Little Mix’s ‘Woman Like Me’ and Spice Girls’ ‘Wannabe’ in the running order for their London show.
“They’re two very representative groups of the UK [so] I’m very excited to go to London and perform the songs in their country of origin,” Leeseo, who covers ‘Woman Like Me’ with leader Yujin, said. “Little Mix are a group that I enjoy and respect, so it’s a fun experience to cover them. I’m curious about the [UK] fans’ reactions.”
Wonyoung also teased that there could be new surprises in the setlist for London. “I’m not going to tell you whether it’s a unit [performance] or [full group], but maybe some of the [performances will] have little differences from previous [shows].”
The Show What I Have tour marks IVE’s first world tour since they debuted in 2021 and follows the girl group holding a fan concert tour in Asia and appearing at numerous festivals across the globe. Despite their experience on stage, rapper Rei admitted to feeling some trepidation before beginning the trek.
“Before the world tour, we only went to certain countries, so I felt a little bit nervous about going on a full world tour,” she said. “But DIVEs were so welcoming and we[‘ve] really enjoyed the stage wholeheartedly. Through the world tour and our [performances], we’re learning to grow a lot.”
Growth is a key factor in the themes behind IVE’s music, which often portrays messages of confidence and self-love. Their latest EP, April’s ‘IVE Switch’, is no different. On the rap-focused ‘Accendio’, they assert their power in a relationship, while ‘Heya’ was inspired by a folk take created by IVE themselves and based on a Korean legend. Titled The Tiger Who Loved The Sun, it suggests that, as long as you have a pure heart, you can achieve whatever goals you set for yourself.
“The folk tale is a very confident one and it presents a very strong self,” Gaeul said. “We put in a lot of effort to give that confident and strong attitude in our performance [of ‘Heya’]. It’s an attitude that we’re supposed to love ourselves, so we wanted to show that.”
Elsewhere on the EP, Wonyoung contributed to the songwriting of ‘Blue Heart’, a skittering song that tackles the idea of staying strong in the face of scrutiny and hate. Although it was based on negative attention she has received, the singer told NME she wrote it as a message of encouragement for all listeners. “I was writing about my stories, but I thought it can fit into everybody’s story as well,” she said. “I want to tell everybody to stay strong against the world – I want to give them great and powerful energy to live in this world.”
The star also explained her approach to dealing with hateful comments and the criticism that can come with being in the spotlight. “I’m always concentrating on myself, just for me,” she said. “[Whatever people] are saying about me, it’s [based on] the outside [view], so I’m just gonna concentrate on [what’s] inside [me]. That’s [what’s] gonna help me.”
After IVE wrap up their European tour in London, the group will continue their packed schedule with shows in South America, Australia, and Asia, with a return to Seoul and debut appearance at Japan’s 55,000-capacity Tokyo Dome, where they’ll hold two concerts. In between headline shows, the six-piece will also make its US festival debut at Chicago’s Lollapalooza.
“Lollapalooza is a very big stage and we’re very honoured to perform,” Leeseo said. “We’ll try our hardest to prepare really well for it, and we’ll also be practising with the [live] band we’ll be showing at the festival.”
“We have a lot of big performances waiting for us this year,” Yujin added. “Our first and main goal is to not get hurt and to just do these performances really well.”
IVE headline London’s The O2 on Sunday June 16. Find any remaining tickets for the concert here.
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