IVE, Starship Entertainment‘s first girl group in five years, has finally made their debut. The group’s highly anticipated first single “Eleven” premiered on December 1, 2021. Even before their debut, these girls are ready to take on the K-Pop charts as showcased through their powerful and stylish teasers.
Members Yujin, Gaeul, Won-young, Liz, Rei, and Leeseo are set to follow in the footsteps of former Starship groups like SISTAR and WJSN. Groundbreaking SISTAR, formed in the year 2010, gave us hits like “Touch My Body” and “Loving You” before disbanding in 2017. Charming girl group WJSN debuted in 2016 and has given us hits like “Mo Mo Mo” and “Catch Me” and remain active today. Although having such talented predecessors at Starship, IVE is ready to make their own mark on the K-Pop world.
A lot of hype surrounded this group as it consists of two members, Won-young and Yujin, from now disbanded group IZ*ONE. IZ*ONE was a group formed during the reality competition show Produce 48 in 2018 and remained active until April of 2021. The project group delivered hits like “La Vie En Rose” and “Fiesta” and won a total of 24 music show wins prior to disbandment. Having had this experience, fans are eager to see the same performance quality and result from IVE. The name IVE is a combination of ‘I Have’ and was chosen as part of an internal contest through the entertainment company.
Their debut song “Eleven,” is an energetic dance-based track. The pre-chorus is suspenseful, as the tempo and music slows down, highlighting the singers’ voices as it progresses into the goosebump-inducing chorus.. A mature sound paired with the members’ crisp, bright voices makes this a welcoming change from the commonly used cute debut concepts.. Equipped with stunning head-turning visuals and powerfully precise dance moves, the music video for “Eleven” hit almost seven million views in only 11 hours.
While the music itself is energetic, the lyrics of “Eleven” tell a story of a girl who, at first, is jaded and scared of love. Slowly, but surely, she finds herself willing to let love in. With lyrics like “These emotions I’m feeling right now are true / The unfamiliar name that tickled my lips / I didn’t know my heart was so colorful,” the song is a journey of learning to love again.
The gorgeous music video for “Eleven” is a very magical, almost Aladdin-like setting. Guided by a magic carpet, the video takes viewers into a genie bottle, where the members begin the first verse dressed in all white outfits and blue gloves. The girls give off electricity as they perform the first choreographed movements with genie-like vibes. Beautiful interior shots make the viewer feel as if they are in a palace, whereas the outdoor shots take viewers to a rooftop to hang out with the members. The music video’s concept builds on the thought of how love and being in love can be a magical experience.
IVE has made their mark in the K-Pop scene with the stellar debut of “Eleven,” making them the rookie group to watch. Check them out on all of their social media accounts and watch the music video for “Eleven” below!