Song Review: IVE – XOXZ

Though IVE have occasionally dipped into different genres, they’ve enjoyed their biggest chart success with a bombastic pop sound. You don’t have to look any further than this year’s Rebel Heart and Attitude, with the anthemic pre-release easily outperforming the actual title track. New single XOXZ sees them returning to an edgier hip-hop sound with underwhelming results.

I’m not sure how many fans were clamoring for “IVE over a trap beat,” but if that’s been your greatest desire you’re in luck with XOXZ. The group takes a much more minimalist approach here, with sparse production and a chorus driven by talking rather than singing. This approach might fare better if so many other acts weren’t already using it. After all, I can still remember how fresh and transformative SNSD’s The Boys sounded so many years ago. However, K-pop has traversed so much sonic ground since then, making most songs come across as new takes on existing tropes rather than legitimately new horizons.

In the case of XOXZ, we’ve got a missmatch between artist and song. Yes, part of IVE’s appeal is their stylish iciness and this track brings that out in spades, but a bigger reason for their success involves iconic melodies and a sense of musical storytelling. Under that criteria, XOXZ feels undercooked. Its verses are limp and unmemorable and the pre-chorus (often home to their most bombastic melodies) comes and goes without much effect. The resounding chorus is more successful, but only by a hair. Its echoey sound fools us into thinking the hook is more grand than it is. Still, it’s like we’re only hearing the boring, filler parts of XOXZ while its highlights were somehow left on the cutting room floor. It’s a confounding choice for a title track, especially from IVE.

Grade: C