[talk] US Lollapalooza dominates → Enters Japan's Tokyo Dome… Ive, a dazzling growth story

Seoul = News 1) Reporter Kim Min-ji = From a large-scale world tour that took place over the course of a year to a large-scale festival stage in the United States, the growth of girl group IVE is dazzling. They are surprising both inside and outside the music industry as they are about to enter the Tokyo Dome, which is called the 'dream stage' for singers who have advanced to Japan.

Ive is currently on his first world tour, 'SHOW WHAT I HAVE'. It is a world tour that started in Seoul last October and has been touring 27 cities in 19 countries across Asia, the Americas, Europe, South America, and Australia. As of mid-August, most of the performances have been completed, and he will be having an encore performance at the KSPO DOME (former Gymnastics Arena) in Seoul for two days on the 10th and 11th.

Having debuted in 2021, Ive met global fans by holding a world tour in less than two years. This is an action that broke the perception that 'girl groups have relatively fewer core fans compared to boy groups.' Ive sold out every show of this world tour, showing that their global popularity has grown even further. It seems that they have laid the foundation for leaping beyond 'Korea's top girl group' to 'global trend.'

This is not all that Ive gained from his world tour. As the performances continued, the members’ skills became more solid. Not only did they deliver a steady live performance while performing, but they also had a relaxed stage manner, and word of mouth about their skills spread among global K-pop fans. This also had a positive effect on Ive.

View original image The place where such achievements can be confirmed is the large-scale American festival Lollapalooza Chicago (hereinafter referred to as Lollapalooza). Lollapalooza is a large-scale music festival that started in Chicago, USA in 1991, and is a festival that encompasses popular genres of popular music such as pop and rock. On the 3rd (local time), Ive appeared on stage at Lollapalooza held in Grant Park, Illinois, Chicago, USA.

Opening with "I AM," a song that gained huge popularity in Korea, Ive heated up the stage with "ROYAL" and "Accendio," rearranged in a rock version. He then performed "Off The Record," rearranged into a summer version to suit the festival, as well as "Baddie," "ELEVEN," "HEYA," "After LIKE," "LOVE DIVE," "Kitsch," and "All Night," a variety of songs. Ive, in particular, received favorable reviews for his unwavering live performance and live singing that lasted for 45 minutes.

Regarding this performance, the American music magazine Rolling Stone gave high praise on their official homepage on the 4th, saying, "Ive shook the stage with her live arrangements," and "She showed off a jazzy and sophisticated arrangement with a live band, and she showed memorable performances with a very unique stage." Local media Chicago Sun-Times also said, "They did a great job as a girl group representing K-pop, and the choreography was solid and well-planned." On the 5th, Billboard Philippines selected Ive's stage as one of the 10 best stages of Lollapalooza, saying, "They showed a refreshing and energetic K-pop genre, and it was one of the most memorable performances."

View original image With this momentum, Ive is also moving to conquer the Japanese archipelago. On the 7th, he released the music video for the title song 'Crush' from his new Japanese mini-album 'ALIVE', and on the 28th, he will officially release 'ALIVE'.

In particular, he will be holding an encore concert of his first world tour, "Show What I Have," at Tokyo Dome in Japan on September 4-5. After becoming the first Korean singer to perform at K-Arena Yokohama in November of last year, Ive performed at Marine Messe Fukuoka in Fukuoka on January 31 and February 1 of this year, and at Osaka-jo Hall in Osaka on February 7-8, meeting an audience of approximately 78,000. Having gradually taken steps, he will finally be entering Tokyo Dome after approximately three years since his debut.

Ive's Tokyo Dome entry makes them the seventh K-pop girl group, following Kara (2013), Girls' Generation (2014), Twice (2019), Blackpink (2019), Espa (2023), and New Jeans (2024). Tokyo Dome, which can accommodate up to 50,000 spectators at a time, is a symbolic concert hall where singers who have reached the 'top' position in Japan can perform, and the barrier is higher for foreign artists. However, Ive overcame this barrier and left behind a meaningful mark by 'entering Tokyo Dome'.

View original image Ive, who debuted in December 2021, swept the rookie and grand prizes at domestic award ceremonies that year with three consecutive hits, "Eleven," "Love Dive," and "After Like." Ive, who entered the Japanese market right after, has been actively promoting and releasing diverse songs, building a solid local fan base. After gathering global fans for about two years, Ive started a world tour, and through this, he is showing both his skills and the Ive brand have developed further, and is writing a truly "dazzling growth story."

Regarding this, a music insider said, "Ibe has been calmly walking their own path since their debut. Among the K-pop girl groups active overseas these days, Ibe is a team that stands out," and "The fact that they showed off their outstanding live skills at Lollapalooza had a positive effect on the team. Their performance at Lollapalooza will serve as a bridgehead for Ibe's future global activities." He continued, "Their entry into Tokyo Dome this time also shows their present," and "Ibe's growth is amazing. They are a group that we can look forward to in the future."