IVE are back. The six-member K-pop group released their new mini album “Looks Can Kill” on Monday, October 26, at 6 p.m. Korean time, and it is now on all the big streaming apps. It is their first comeback in about eight months, since the second full album “REVIVE+” came out in February.
The group is An Yu-jin, Gaeul, Rei, Jang Won-young, Liz and Leeseo. Their label is Starship Entertainment.
Six songs and a new hero concept
The album has six tracks: “Looks Can Kill”, “Mirror Mirror”, “SNAKESKIN”, “CRUMBS”, “Girls Girls Girls” and “Glow Motion”.
The label calls the project a spin-off. In earlier eras the members played cupids and then magical girls. This time each of them is a “girl hero”, and the message is simple: anyone can be the hero of their own life. Some fans loved the comic-book look of the teasers, and some found it a bit strange, so the concept already got people talking before a single song was out.
The members also wrote some of the words. Rei co-wrote the lyrics of the title track with Seo Ji-eum and Lil Cherry. Gaeul and Liz wrote lyrics for “CRUMBS”, a song with a heavy beat and a confident attitude.
The title song came first
Fans did not have to wait for the album to hear the main single. “Looks Can Kill” came out a week early, on October 19. The same evening IVE sang it live for the first time at a three-day Spotify fan event in the Gangnam area of Seoul. “Girls Girls Girls” was also on the set list.
The music video went to No. 1 on YouTube’s worldwide trending list on its first day. The point dance, where the members aim like snipers, is already popular in short clips online.
“A small cheer extended to someone can become courage for someone else,” Jang Won-young said before the release. Liz said she hopes people listen and think, “As expected of IVE.”
Our take
IVE have built their name on songs about self-love and confidence, and this album keeps that idea while changing the costume. The hero theme is a smart way to keep a long story going without repeating the last era.
The early release of the title song was a good move too. By the time the full album landed, the dance and the video were already everywhere. The real test comes over the next weeks, when the first-week sales and the music show results come in.
Which song from “Looks Can Kill” is your favourite so far? Tell us in the comments.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Jang Won-young by Ten Asia (CC BY 4.0), IVE at the 2026 Golden Disc Awards by TV10 (CC BY 4.0), Gaeul by TV10 (CC BY 3.0), An Yu-jin by K-POPIT (CC BY 3.0).