[Review] REBEL HEART – IVE

Apologies for the lack of reviews this week. Jet lag caught up with me and work got me tired.

One of the releases that came out while I was on vacation was IVE’s single REBEL HEART. It serves as one of the title tracks for their (at the time) upcoming 3rd mini-album IVE Empathy. As of Monday this week, the second title track, ATTITUDE, and the mini-album itself were released. A review for ATTITUDE will be posted shortly. IVE Empathy follows from their IVE SWITCH mini-album and HEYA/Accendio comeback in April last year.

I remember listening to REBEL HEART while on vacation and thinking it was a great song, minus one part. REBEL HEART begins with a rock tinge instrumental that develops into a bombastic sound that reminds me of their I AM single from 2 years ago. I like how the members channel and complement the rock sound, sometimes almost turning the song into an anthem. I do acknowledge the chorus is repetitive, but it is also very simple and catchy. The “So you can love me, You will never be never be never me…” definitely makes for an addictive hook. REBEL HEART does falter when it comes to the “Na Na Na” part in the bridge. This moment turned a strong and empowering song into something childish. At least, WONYOUNG and LIZ’s vocal follow-up picked REBEL HEART back up and made the song slightly mature again. Overall, REBEL HEART is a strong first release from IVE Empathy. This makes me excited for their now-released second track, ATTITUDE.

The music video for REBEL HEART features the members rebelling against society but staying true to themselves. After all, they are ‘rebels in their hearts’, and the song’s lyrics express solidarity with those who rebel. The group and ‘friends supporting friends’ scenes reflected the latter message. GAEUL and LIZ were probably the easiest rebels to spot in the video. GAEUL opted for activities like graffiti and hanging out in abandoned buildings. LIZ didn’t attend school on school days and was seen walking in the opposite direction of her peers. The other members’ portrayal of rebels was a little more subtle. REI wore an outfit that made her standout in public. WONYOUNG was an unhappy bride, while YUJIN took part in activities that did not fit the stereotype for her gender. The hardest to make out was LIZ’s portrayal of a rebel, who I guess is representing those who want to make a living through social media rather than other ‘typical’ jobs.

The choreography for REBEL HEART was good. I don’t mind the routine we got. But it could have gone for something punchier, as some moves didn’t fit the song’s rock vibe. It felt more focused on being youthful and pretty than taking advantage of that rock sound.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10