Song Review: IVE – Looks Can Kill

IVE has developed a pattern of pre-releases prior to their title tracks, and these songs are often more successful on the charts than the actual comeback. That was the case with both Bang Bang and Rebel Heart, and we’ll soon see if new pre-release Looks Can Kill will continue the trend. They’re certainly playing to expectations with this one, wrapping a familiar “I’m so pretty, I’m so cool” sentiment around a propulsive dance beat. For me, songs with this (very overdone) concept only work if the artists embrace camp and have their tongue firmly in their cheek. Of all of K-pop’s “cool girls,” IVE feel most suited to this task. It’s not hard to imagine Looks Can Kill as a bit of comedy, especially given its accompanying video. Musically, the song is the latest in a very long line of mostly-spoken songs over brisk club beats. I’m waiting for this approach to bloom into something more melodically substantial (it’ll happen, trust me!), but for now this is an above average example of the sing-talk phenomemon. Every once and awhile, Looks Can Kill pulls back its facade and reveals a better song lurking just underneath. The bridge is a particularly nice example of this, bringing a shot of ...