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Barely a year active as a group, IVE released its third single album, After LIKE, and it’s already a banger. The album, released on August 22, with a title track of the same name, gained no.1 spot on Bugs, no. 2 on Genie, no. 4 on MelOn and no. 21 on FLO music charts within just five hours of its release.
It’s not just the numbers that prove how well people are receiving the song. It’s also the chatter on social media, especially Twitter. After LIKE made the competition for Female Rookie of the Year at year-end award shows tougher as it has managed to outdo the popularity of LOVE DIVE, according to fans.
IVE bring the 70s disco vibes back with After LIKE, fans already in love with it
IVE is technically still a rookie group as it hasn't completed its one-year debut anniversary. The group’s third single album, After LIKE, released on August 22 and gradually climbed up South Korea’s biggest music charts.
After LIKE incorporates IVE-specific characteristics - detailed finger choreography, sharp expressions, and a catchy chorus dance. The song samples the 70s disco song I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor. The album has been highly-anticipated since the teaser images dropped, revealing a short-haired blonde Gaeul.
As soon as the music video was released, fans could not stop gushing over the cinematography, the outfits, members and the song. They praised the director and complimented Rei and Gaeul’s rap.
Edits with the chorus of After LIKE already started doing the rounds on Twitter. One fan even commented that IVE brought them back to second-generation music, giving them nostalgic vibes.
The major shared sentiment was that the girl group managed to “outdo” their previous hit, LOVE DIVE. With After LIKE, the group has managed two comebacks this year alone and a third comeback since debuting in December last year.
This year’s girl group competition is fierce. 2022 witnessed the debuts of Kep1er, CLASS:Y, ILY:1, LE SSERAFIM, and the latest, NewJeans, among others.
The top contenders for Rookie of the Year awards at coveted year-end music shows got tougher with the debut of ADOR’s NewJeans, but the K-pop fandom was awaiting IVE’s comeback to place their bets.
Many netizens mentioned that After LIKE’s success would be the decisive factor. IVE’s previous two comebacks, ELEVEN and LOVE DIVE, have been incredibly successful. However, with NewJeans’ record-breaking popularity, the LOVE DIVE group’s ROTY crown seemed to be slipping away, in fans’ eyes.
After LIKE cemented the group’s position of being a force to be reckoned with. Moreover, the group sold over 400,000 albums in the first week of sales with their latest comeback. Its first-day sales increased multifold too, further reflecting their immense popularity with the international and domestic audience.
Meanwhile, After LIKE contains two songs, a title track of the same name and a b-side track titled My Satisfaction. The album is available on music streaming sites.
