[Album Review] IVE SWITCH (2nd Mini Album) – IVE

1 month ago 15

On the album review front, IVE is next up in the hot seat with their second mini album, IVE SWITCH, released in April 2024. Led by the singles HEYA and Accendio, this mini-album features six songs. IVE SWITCH is quite a strong release for the girl group and is a definite improvement from their last era (Baddie) and mini-album (I’VE MINE, which I never got around to reviewing). More thoughts on this particular mini-album down below!

1. HEYA (해야) (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for HEYA. (9/10)

2. Accendio (Title Track) – Accendio has grown immensely on me since I reviewed it. I have probably listened to the song more times than HEYA and have decided to bump the rating for Accendio to be on par with HEYA. Click here for the full review for Accendio. (9/10)

3. Blue Heart –To me, Blue Heart is the synth-centric cousin of the Accendio. There is something magical about the song, particularly in the charming chorus. The instrumental features fast-paced synth work, giving the song propulsion and a chic exterior. The vocals were nice, and something is captivating about the autotune over the spoken vocals in the choruses that just feels right in this song. The pre-choruses feel effortlessly blissful. There is a lot to like in Blue Heart, so it ranks high in this album. (9/10)

4. Ice Queen – As for Ice Queen, this is the more haunting relative of Accendio. It has all the maturity and mysteriousness that Accendio is characterised by. A difference is the hip-hop influence that the chorus features, which works well. On top of that, I enjoyed the bubbly synth work that adds that mysterious touch to the song and the “Woo Ah Woo” follow-ups in the song. If I wanted anything further, I think Ice Queen would have benefited from some sharpness. But another strong song from the group! (9/10)

5. Wow – Following on from the string of 9/10 songs, Wow does feel more standard than the rest. But that doesn’t mean Wow is not a good song. The pop song features extremely pleasant vocals and a textural chorus that I enjoyed. (8/10)

6. Reset – Reset confirms that this album had no bad songs. I really liked the use of Afrobeats in this track. I was lowkey having a mini dance whilst listening to the song and writing this part of the review. I enjoyed this subtle feel of the song, which makes Reset so good. The vocals were cute and the hooks were catchy. (9/10)