Review

Song Review: IVE – Attitude

Posted on by 44 Comments

IVE have built a sizable portion of their singles run around iconic samples, from Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive to Blackstreet’s No Diggity to Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. These interpolations have almost become a concept of sorts, and new single Attitude follows suit by borrowing the iconic hook from Suzanne Vega’s Tom’s Diner. This song arrives weeks after pre-release Rebel Heart and carries a similar message of empowerment filtered through a modern (predictable) K-pop lens.

While Rebel Heart‘s ideas were in the right place, its clunky Fight Song-esque execution held me back from loving it in the way I had hoped. Attitude is slightly more convincing, but still isn’t able to touch their top tier work. Some of this is honestly down to the subject matter. I’ve long since reached my limit of boastful concepts, especially when they swerve into soul-crushing tempo shifts and shout-along bridges. Don’t K-pop songwriters have anything else to write about? Hell, at this point I’m ready to hear songs about unicorns and magic and shaved ice. Anything besides “aren’t I the coolest?“, please.

Attitude is at its best when targeted straight at the dancefloor. Its production could go much harder, but the propulsive beat works well to keep the song chugging along. It’s refreshing to hear big choruses back in K-pop and I like how the arrangement fleshes out during Attitude‘s centerpiece. The melody itself isn’t much to write home about, carried heavily by that immortal Tom’s Diner interpolation. I’m also not sure about the ultra-high notes that precede these sections. It’s a flex to include this challenging tone, but past single I Am found a way to make it much more impactful. Overall, Attitude is fine but I was hoping for a total stunner from the group.

Hooks 9
 Production 8
 Longevity 9
 Bias 8
 RATING 8.5

Grade: B

44 thoughts on “Song Review: IVE – Attitude”

  1. Tbh, I’m at that stage where I just gave up on lyrics/concepts in K-Pop songs (or songs in general), so the “I’m so cool” or “I’m so rebellious” lyrics don’t get to me much. 😭 Overused? Yes. Does it get into my nerves? No. Maybe this is why I loved Rebel Heart since the melodies and production of the song help buoy its flaws for me (the almost ironic lyrics). If it had the plodding vibe of say, an Imagine Dragons song or to a small extent, Fight Song, I’d prolly not like it much. But ofc, I respect your taste, and I understand why you’d be bothered by both the songs! (:

    Anyways, I love the dance beat of this song, and the airy-ish hook works well, paired with the interpolation. I’d only remove the second verse breakdown and change the shout-chant bridge into something more melodic (maybe with the chanting, but gotta make it a melodic chanting!). Not as strong as their previous singles nor Rebel Heart, but I sense it’ll age well for me.

    8.5 (8, 9, 9, 8) for me as well.

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  3. I felt a disco-esque current throughout the song. It’s a fine sine, but I find myself liking Rebel Hearts more than it. Again, serviceable music from IVE. It doesn’t hurt the ears but it’s also doesn’t get me excited.

    On the side, I was struck by the new Lady Gaga song. Judas has always been one of my favorite songs from her discography, and this new single just recaptured that magic!

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  7. I like it.

    A lot of bad decisions here and there but still a good song!

    The sample does a lot of work though, and I question having both a chant and rap in it.

    We had chants for Rebel Heart…

    Still, this is as good as it gets with the new IVE sound.

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  8. I think I might be one of the few who actually prefer this over Rebel Heart. There’s nothing wrong with that song, but it feels too similar to I Am, and I don’t really need a watered-down version of it. As for Attitude, while I do enjoy parts of it, the rap sections and those ultra-high notes can be pretty grating for me. That said, the chorus is absolutely fire, and the interpolation really elevates the song

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  11. I’ve never been a huge fan of IVE, I like their songs but I don’t usually listen to their discography frequently. This time though, I gotta say the song was a banger. This interpolation is really really good, and they did make a great use of it in the track.

    I don’t know how they will do live, especially considering those crazy pre-chorus notes, but I’ve been told Liz is a great vocalist, so maybe she’ll pull it off pretty well. My only complain is the pre-chorus, it felt really out of place in the song. Other than that, this was pretty solid.

    9/10.

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  12. Disappointed. Only liked the interpolated part but other than that, this song wouldn’t stand on its own. On top of that, It seems like they’re just not invested in hiring writers these days.

    Hard 6/10. Could go down to 5.

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  13. I was liking it, it was nothing amazing, and it did not awe me like After Like or Love Dive but the way it kills the hype in the high note disappointed me. I like Rebel Hearts, even if it’s more generic.

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  14. IVE disappointing yet again , i don’t like that they need to ripoff samples from old western songs for inspiration or the high notes and the singtalk/ chanting , the instrumental should have been way harder too , please hire sone producers with some actual inspiration IVE , 4/10 is the max i can give it

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  15. I owned that album on vinyl. Still own it somewhere. Also, her debut album I think on a cassette tape, which is somewhere. I wore that tape out, so to speak. … Y’all have probably heard that the original Tom’s Diner was used by the sound engineers to perfect the compression algorithm for the mp3, which is used to this day. Because he voice is so pure and the composition so clear, any flaw in the compression would be readily audible.

    Oh this song, yeah, pass.

    Here is another gem from Suzanne Vega, from her debut album. So simple and yet so beautiful. For those who like chill-in-a-good-way, add this to your playlist.

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  17. I was really looking forward to this comeback, but it did not deliver. 😦

    After listening to it I was hoping that at least one of the b-sides would be good, but I wasn’t a fan of those either. I guess I’ll just continue listening to Next Page. 😥

    Hopefully next time they release something it will be better. I usually really like Ive’s songs, but not this time.

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  18. I’ve listen to this for around 10 times around 30 minutes, but I still can’t remember the lyrics – Hook: 4

    Instrumental wise, it’s such a laid-back production and often I found it is muted, plus the rapping section (verse 2) & the bridge is just disjointed af – Production: 5

    IVE’s music always get a great bounce back after their releases ever since their debut, but I honestly didn’t feel this song has the longevity for a better development… – Longevity: 5

    Bias: 9, and from now on I’m looking forward if IVE can try some old-school retro style. Something like 80’s Western Pop or 90’s J-Pop would definitely suit them well.

    Rating: 5.75

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  19. i miss their ethereal hypnotic songs which was eleven and love dive. my satisfaction, holy moly, hypnosis, accendio, blue blood (anthemic but mysteriously dark). i feel like this is prime IVE which is chic, a little flirty and mysterious. true high teen chaebol vibes.

    i don’t mind their bombastic songs as long as it’s on the level of after like and i am. rebel heart is kinda like that but i dislike the message and the childish bridge. ruined the song and it ruined the bridge in attitude too. i feel like the popularity of kitsch made their music direction switch a lot.

    attitude feels like a subdued disco track trying to imitate dua lipa. what’s missing is a really strong chorus that isn’t just posturing over how cool they are. the lyrics feel sorta similar to wjsn’s luckitty-cat (talking about luck and fate) but so drastically different in approach. i feel like i’d like kat more if the concept was similar to wjsn.

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  21. I agree the production could go harder. I wasn’t enthused about the bridge, but it is brisk and I think would be more effective in a live setting. When it comes to the high pitched melody, I prefer how this song utilized it more than I am. It’s directly getting attention and building tension as opposed to interrupting the build of the prechorus ( I AM). The impact comes from the instrumental dropping out not the high pitched part itself. I would go as far to say that a mid belt would’ve been the optimal choice in that song

    I’m personally not bothered by the very theme of the song being “I’m so cool” . Normally, this topic annoys me because it’s done in such an obnoxious way, trying so hard to convince me that it breaks the illusion entirely. “Attitude” isn’t close to crossing that line

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  22. The mixing or whatever strangely highlights girls’ weak vocals. Yep they ain’t great singers and I say with love cus I enjoy a lot of their songs. These high notes are jarring and weird. The chorus too high-pitched? Idk how to describe they just sound very thin and not good. TKO is the only song in the EP that stands out beside title. Something off with voices in that song too but it has some very catchy moments. I don’t know if it grows on me… 😦 Honestly disappointing after amazing SWITCH album

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  23. I wish I hadn’t turned on the captions and what the hell does “I am that attitude”even mean😂.

    The track in itself is pretty good honestly but it doesn’t feel put together for me somehow.

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  24. I’m really obsessed with this song! 🙂 Personally not too bothered by the lyrics as they gag me. My only complaint is that it didn’t go more electronic and break from the sample a little. IDK, the shuttering of the high vocal pre-chorus always leads me to a dance break of some sort or tempo rise and the chorus always feels a bit, lukewarm?
    Wish they could play it less safe and make it more interesting.
    Definitely agree with the bridge, it wouldn’t bother me if there was a melodic bridge before it.

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  25. I usually find IVE’s music really catchy and fun to sing along to, which is the main reason why I felt this release was a bit disappointing. The chorus has a good hook, but I can’t for the life of me remember the melody of the verses. The bridge felt awkward, as I couldn’t help but the think the vocals were too sparse to pull off the chanting. The only thing I really remember from the song is the Tom’s Diner sample. Definitely was expecting more.

    However, this song does seem like the kind of song I’d listen to in 4th or 5th grade and just adore. So I’m sure younger audiences will love it.

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  26. There’s something about this song that’s been kind of bothering me (apart from the chanty bridge😏), and I could not figure out what it was until this morning.  

    I love “Tom’s Diner”, but I strongly dislike how they overused it in “Attitude” (almost a minute). I don’t mind samples/interpolations, but they have to be short and sweet, otherwise I feel I’d rather go and listen to the original song🤷🏻‍♀️.  

    Rating: 7.5

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  27. this song could’ve been used for a more daring concept and playful lyrics (some ATTITUDE for god’s sake). the mv is really doing nothing to sell the song and this ‘teenage rebel’ label don’t match the song energy imo. i’d like to see ive flourishing with a sexy/confident concept this time.

    ps: i know that leeseo is still a minor so i guess it’s not really ‘appropriate’ yet… that’s why they shouldn’t debut kids to begin with.

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  28. I’m getting annoyed with the sampling and interpolations and whatever else is there. IVE have done it now multiple times and it getting unbearable. Was the “dadada” really needed? You mentioned some songs in the article, you need to add Lovefool (Cardigans) which they also interpolated. This new Album even has a song called You Wanna Cry, which totally rips Whitney’s I wanna Dance with Somebody. Uggh. I can’t. Seriously why? K-Pop is the craziest music genre in the world right now, why sampling and interpolating 80’s hits from the West? The whole album is also a complete miss for me, as were the previous two mini albums (Mine and Switch). The first studio album was sooo good, but everything after that was a disappointment for me.

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  29. IVE have become more reliable than stunning these days…can’t complain. Another good song that could grow into being very good.

    7.5 – 8/10

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