IVE Wire Unofficial DIVE Dispatch · English Edition K-Wire Network ↗
"I AM" BECOMES IVE'S FIRST MUSIC VIDEO TO CROSS 400 MILLION YOUTUBE VIEWS SHOW WHAT I AM WORLD TOUR WRAPS THREE NIGHTS AT HONG KONG'S ASIAWORLD-ARENA, SEP 4–6 IVE NAMED "HOTTEST INTERNATIONAL GROUP" AT 2026 TIMA IN HONG KONG, AUG 23 SHOW WHAT I AM WORLD TOUR WRAPS IN TAIPEI, SEPT 13 4TH JAPANESE EP "LUCID DREAM" ARRIVES MAY 27 WITH JUNJI ITO ARTWORK "BANG BANG" BECOMES IVE'S 6TH PERFECT ALL-KILL, MOST OF ANY GIRL GROUP "I AM" BECOMES IVE'S FIRST MUSIC VIDEO TO CROSS 400 MILLION YOUTUBE VIEWS SHOW WHAT I AM WORLD TOUR WRAPS THREE NIGHTS AT HONG KONG'S ASIAWORLD-ARENA, SEP 4–6 IVE NAMED "HOTTEST INTERNATIONAL GROUP" AT 2026 TIMA IN HONG KONG, AUG 23 SHOW WHAT I AM WORLD TOUR WRAPS IN TAIPEI, SEPT 13 4TH JAPANESE EP "LUCID DREAM" ARRIVES MAY 27 WITH JUNJI ITO ARTWORK "BANG BANG" BECOMES IVE'S 6TH PERFECT ALL-KILL, MOST OF ANY GIRL GROUP

SEOUL — SEPTEMBER 2026

From Love Dive
to Blackhole.

IVE closed out the Show What I Am World Tour with runs in Hong Kong (September 4–6) and Taipei (September 11–13), days after the group was named "Hottest International Group" at the 2026 TIMA in Hong Kong. It caps a year built on second studio album REVIVE+ and its double title tracks, "BLACKHOLE" and "BANG BANG" — the latter IVE's sixth Perfect All-Kill, more than any other girl group has logged — followed by fourth Japanese EP LUCID DREAM in May, and, this August, "I AM" becoming the group's first music video to pass 400 million YouTube views. This page is a working build of how IVE Wire tracks all of it for English-speaking DIVE — translated, sourced, and converted to whatever timezone you're reading from.

A note on this era: REVIVE+ is IVE's second full-length album and carries two title tracks rather than one, plus a solo track for each of the group's six members (Gaeul, Yujin, Rei, Wonyoung, Liz, Leeseo). It arrived a little over four years after the group's December 2021 debut, while the Show What I Am tour that carries it wrapped with its Taipei finale on September 13.

DISPATCH NO. 0002 · FILED 09:00 KST · REVIVE+ Era · 2026

Enter the wire room ↓ What is this?

The desks

DESK 01

News Desk

Korean and English coverage, translated and summarized — always credited back to the original outlet.

 DESK 02

Review Desk

Track-by-track reads on every era, from Eleven to whatever's coming next.

 DESK 03

Screening Room

Official videos only, curated and embedded — never reuploaded.

 DESK 04

Signal Desk

A running clock on the REVIVE+ era's key dates, converted to your local time.

 DESK 05

Quiz Desk

Quick, shareable quizzes built for the group chat, not the algorithm.

 DESK 06

Market Desk

Where to buy official merch abroad, without the guesswork.

Desk 01 · News

Translated for the timeline you don't read.

Every dispatch below links back to its original source — this desk summarizes, it doesn't replace.

SEOUL — OCT 19

'Looks Can Kill' gets its first live stage at Spotify's DIVE ACADEMY in Gangnam

IVE staged the first live performance of their new title track 'Looks Can Kill' on Oct. 19 at Spotify's DIVE ACADEMY fan event at Arc Gangnam, a three-day affair that also had a pop-up and immersive space on the 17th and 18th. The B-side 'Girls Girls Girls' made its live debut too, alongside older hits such as 'LOVE DIVE' and 'XOXZ.' Each member has a hero alias, from Captain Purple (An Yujin) to Spider Red (Leeseo), and music-show promotions began on M Countdown on Oct. 22.

Summarized from Sports Kyunghyang by IVE Wire staff.

Read the original source ↗

SEOUL — OCT 14

IVE wrap the Girl Hero reveal: Gaeul gets the brains, Liz gets a fork

IVE closed their concept rollout on Oct. 14 with the final two members. Gaeul's hero mixes energy, mystery and an intellectual streak, while Liz's offbeat, sweet-yet-fierce take comes armed with a fork. The 'Hero Comics' photos follow a Hero Academy training series that began Oct. 12. Starship says the title track has gritty bass over electronic sounds, with a pre-release on Oct. 19 and the full mini album 'Looks Can Kill' due Oct. 26.

Summarized from Kyunghyang (Sports Khan) by IVE Wire staff.

Read the original source ↗

K-WIRE NETWORK — OCT 14

K-Trail Seoul is live: a free K-pop pilgrimage map for Seoul, Busan, Goyang, Incheon and Jeju

K-Wire Network's sister project, K-Trail Seoul, is officially live and free to use — no account, no paywall. It's an offline-ready map of real K-pop pilgrimage spots: agency HQs, concert and broadcast venues, cafes and culture stops, plus curated hotels and restaurants near the busiest clusters (Seongsu, Hongdae, Myeongdong, K-Star Road, Jamsil), now covering five cities — Seoul, Busan, Goyang, Incheon and Jeju. It installs straight to your home screen as an app (Share → Add to Home Screen on iOS, the install banner on Android/desktop), saves map areas for offline use before you lose signal, and lets you save and share individual spots. With Fanomenon set to bring a wave of international fans to Korea in December 2027, this is the time to start building your own trail.

Posted by IVE Wire staff.

Open K-Trail map ↗

SEOUL — OCT 7

JYP’s Park Jin-young defends "Fanomenon" trademark filing, explains agency selection at National Assembly hearing

Park Jin-young, co-chair of the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange, appeared before the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee to explain the process behind "Fanomenon" — a government-linked joint venture between HYBE, JYP, SM and YG for an annual K-pop awards show, concert series and exhibition set to debut in Seoul and Gyeonggi in December 2027. Park told lawmakers that his solo filing of the "Fanomenon" and "Pandemonium" trademarks overseas, ahead of any transfer to the joint entity, was a rushed but necessary step to stop the names from being taken by someone else before the joint venture could register them itself. On the selection of the four agencies without a public tender, Park argued the arrangement was a sacrifice rather than a favor, noting the four labels stood to earn two to three times more running individual concerts on their own. Lawmakers also raised questions about the committee’s projected 520,000 visitors and roughly 1 trillion won in economic impact, which organizers have described as provisional, midpoint estimates.

Summarized from the Korea JoongAng Daily by IVE Wire staff.

Read the original source ↗

SEOUL — OCT 6–7

IVE turn themselves into six superheroes for "Looks Can Kill"

Starship Entertainment released "Post Credit Scene: Girl Hero" on October 6, a mock-superhero trailer giving each member a hero alias — Jang Wonyoung (Bat Pink), Leeseo (Spider Red), Rei (Jin Yellow), Gaeul (Wonder Green), Liz (Super Blue), and An Yujin (Captain Purple) — across city, snow-mountain, and desert settings. The clip confirmed a two-stage comeback: title track "Looks Can Kill" drops Oct. 19, with the full mini-album following Oct. 26, reportedly featuring writing and production contributions from Gaeul, Rei, and Liz.

Summarized from Sports Khan by IVE Wire staff.

Read the original source ↗

SEOUL — OCT 5

"Looks Can Kill" teasers go full superhero, with each member in a custom mask

Fresh teaser photos for the October 19 mini album lean into a superhero concept, with each member posing in a custom mask and outfit under bold colors and dramatic lighting. "Looks Can Kill" is set to release at 8 PM KST on Oct. 19; further concept and tracklist details are expected in the coming weeks.

Summarized from allkpop by IVE Wire staff.

Read the original source ↗

SEOUL / TOKYO — SEP 22

Yujin departs for Japan as the "AN-YOUNG" exhibition heads into its final days

Yujin was spotted at Gimpo International Airport on September 22 departing for scheduled activities in Japan, dressed down in an all-black look. Her and Wonyoung's joint photo exhibition, "AN-YOUNG," was in its closing stretch at The Seoullo Lighthium at the time, running through September 27.

Summarized from allkpop by IVE Wire staff.

Read the original source ↗

SEOUL — SEP 5–27

An Yujin and Wonyoung open "AN-YOUNG" photo exhibition at The Seoullo Lighthium

An Yujin and Jang Wonyoung’s joint photo exhibition "AN-YOUNG" runs Sept. 5–27 at The Seoullo Lighthium, featuring two personal photo books spanning images from their pre-debut years to now — though ticket pricing and a goods-purchase-for-priority-entry event drew some fan criticism. Separately, Wonyoung won Best Female Advertising Model for the second consecutive year at the 2026 Brand of the Year Awards.

Summarized from The Korea JoongAng Daily and Koreaboo by IVE Wire staff.

Read the original source ↗

SEOUL — FEB 23

REVIVE+ lands with double title tracks; "Bang Bang" scores IVE's 6th Perfect All-Kill

IVE's second full-length album arrived at 6 PM KST with 12 tracks, including solo songs for all six members. Pre-release single "Bang Bang" (Feb 9) swept every major domestic chart for a Perfect All-Kill — IVE's sixth, more than any other girl group has logged — before cinematic lead single "BLACKHOLE" took over, picking up 8 music-show wins and a first-place trophy on Show Champion on March 4.

Summarized from allkpop and Koreaportal by IVE Wire staff.

Read the original source ↗

TOKYO — MAY 27

LUCID DREAM: IVE's 4th Japanese EP arrives with Junji Ito artwork

Sony Music Japan released IVE's fourth Japanese EP on May 27, led by a title track MV that dropped a day early. The six-track set includes three Japanese-language originals and pairs the group with a striking cover from manga artist Junji Ito — a departure from the pastel visual language of earlier eras.

Summarized from Sony Music Japan's official release notes by IVE Wire staff.

Read the original source ↗

SEOUL — AUG 18

"I AM" becomes IVE's first music video to pass 400 million views

The group's "I AM" crossed 400 million views on YouTube in mid-August, the first individual IVE music video to reach the milestone. The clip joins a catalogue that's spent 2026 setting records on the chart side, too, between REVIVE+'s Perfect All-Kill and LUCID DREAM's Japanese chart run.

Compiled from YouTube view-count tracking by IVE Wire staff.

Read the original source ↗

HONG KONG / SEOUL — AUG 23–SEP 6

TIMA win, Hong Kong sellout, and a Taipei finale close out the tour

IVE was named "Hottest International Group" at the 2026 TIMA (TMElive International Music Awards) at Kai Tak Stadium on August 23, then returned to Hong Kong less than two weeks later for three Show What I Am World Tour shows at AsiaWorld-Arena (September 4–6). The tour wrapped with three nights at Taipei Arena (September 11–13), its final stop, with no further dates announced.

Compiled from official ticketing listings and TIMA's award coverage by IVE Wire staff.

Read the original source ↗

DIVE beat · off-stage

What each member's up to outside comebacks and tour dates.

Wonyoung

Juggling brand ambassadorships for Barrie, Dr. Althea, Dyson, and Medicube; set to co-host the 11th Asia Artist Awards in December.

Gaeul

Serving as an ambassador for a national literacy campaign, one of her more consistent off-stage roles this year.

Rei

MC duties for the Asia Star Entertainer Awards 2026.

Liz

Ambassador for Valentino, Matin Kim, and Tony Moly; recently co-hosted the Korea Grand Music Awards.

Leeseo

Editorials for Cosmopolitan x Gucci, Maje, and Tasaki, plus a standing role as LIZDA's global muse.

Yujin

Regular cast member on tvN's variety show "Space Rice Cake Shop."

Desk 02 · Review

Revisiting the catalogue, track by track.

Text only, always — no reposted photos or video frames on this desk.

4.0 / 5EDITOR'S STAMP
"A double-title-track album that spends its runtime shedding the princess image and expanding the worldview — 'BLACKHOLE' is the sound of a group betting it can carry two leads at once, and mostly winning."

REVIVE+ (2026): IVE's second full-length album, and its most structurally ambitious release yet. Twelve tracks split across two title songs — "BANG BANG," pre-released ahead of the album, and the cinematic "BLACKHOLE" — bookend a tracklist that also carves out a solo spotlight for all six members, from Wonyoung's "8" to Yujin's "FORCE." "BLACKHOLE" charted internationally on release and later took first place on Show Champion.

The two-lead-single structure is a genuine risk for a group whose earlier eras built around one clear anthem at a time, but it pays off by giving the album a wider emotional range than a typical mini could — moody and expansive on the title tracks, more personal on the solo cuts.

  • 01 BLACKHOLE · Title Track
  • 02 BANG BANG · Title Track
  • 03 Hush
  • 04 Stuck In Your Head
  • 05 Fireworks
  • 06 HOT COFFEE
  • 07 8 · Wonyoung Solo
  • 08 Odd · Gaeul Solo
  • 09 Super ICY · Leeseo Solo
  • 10 Unreal · Liz Solo
  • 11 In Your Heart · Rei Solo
  • 12 FORCE · Yujin Solo
Read the full track-by-track →
3.5 / 5EDITOR'S STAMP
"Six tracks that treat a Japanese EP as more than a victory lap — LUCID DREAM leans into unease rather than polish, and Junji Ito's cover art is the whole thesis in one image."

LUCID DREAM (2026): IVE's fourth Japanese EP, and its most visually distinct release to date. Released May 27 through Sony Music Japan, the six-track set pairs a title track MV (out a day early, May 26) with three Japanese-language originals — a higher original-song ratio than the group's earlier Japanese releases, which leaned more on Korean-track re-recordings.

The cover, illustrated by horror manga artist Junji Ito, sets the tone: this is a moodier, more unsettled companion to REVIVE+'s cinematic scale rather than a rehash of it, and it's the clearest sign yet that IVE's Japanese output is being built as its own lane rather than an afterthought.

  • 01 LUCID DREAM · Title Track
  • 02 Track 02 · Japanese Original
  • 03 Track 03 · Japanese Original
  • 04 Track 04 · Japanese Original
  • 05 Track 05
  • 06 Track 06
Read the full track-by-track →

Desk 03 · Screening Room

Only what STARSHIP's own channel actually published.

Every clip here is an official YouTube embed, verified against IVE's label channels — STARSHIP for Korean releases, Sony Music Japan for Japanese ones. If it isn't published there, it doesn't play on this desk.

"BLACKHOLE" — Official MV

One of two title tracks from second full-length album REVIVE+, and a Show Champion No. 1.

"BLACKHOLE" — Official Teaser

The cinematic extinction-and-rebirth concept teaser that set up REVIVE+'s lead single, published on STARSHIP's channel ahead of the MV.

"LUCID DREAM" — Official MV

Title track from IVE's fourth Japanese EP, published on Sony Music Japan's channel a day ahead of the EP's May 27 release.

Desk 04 · Signal

The tour clock, wherever you are.

A running timer on the REVIVE+ era's key dates — auto-converted to your local timezone. Past dates automatically flip to a "time since" count; future dates count down to "time left."

"Looks Can Kill" title track pre-release Estimated time

~8:00 PM KST (estimated) · —

—time left

"Looks Can Kill" (full mini album) releases Confirmed

Oct 26, 2026 · 6:00 PM KST · —

—time since

2026 MAMA AWARDS Chapter 2 — Kyocera Dome Osaka Estimated time

Nov 21, 2026 · ~6:00 PM JST (estimated) · —

—time left

Detected timezone: — · Tour dates: Live Nation ↗

Desk 05 · Quiz

Which era matches your mood tonight?

Three questions, no email required — built to demonstrate the interaction, not to collect data.

QUESTION 1 / 3

Pick a late-night activity.

RESULT

Desk 06 · Market

Buying official, from outside Korea.

Links go to official storefronts. On the live site, tagged links here are where affiliate revenue would come from.

Weverse Shop

REVIVE+ album versions, photocards, and official merch, shipped worldwide.

Visit store ↗ Affiliate link (example)

Weverse — official community

Member updates, live broadcasts, and tour recaps, straight from the group.

See official updates ↗

Show What I Am tour tickets

Official ticketing for remaining 2026 Show What I Am World Tour dates.

See tour dates ↗ Affiliate link (example)