IVE’s singles run has been pretty bulletproof so far, but the lead-up to their first EP has underwhelmed at every step. Starship Entertainment opted to promote three new tracks with music videos, which would be awesome if each one was on the level of an After Like or I Am. Instead, pre-releases Either Way and Off The Record felt overly muted, lacking the ambition that drives the group’s most compelling works. Title track Baddie disappoints in a different way, trading IVE’s towering pop sound for braggadocios bad girl tropes.
I get that this concept is trendy at the moment, but it’s ringing more hollow each time an idol act unveils their new iteration of “bad.” Baddie‘s sparse, strangely funky production holds potential, occasionally veering into weird, Timbaland-esque territory. It begs for a more interesting topline — something new and refreshing instead of the same old “I’m a baddie, baddie, baddie” proclamation. I wasn’t initially a fan of this spring’s Kitsch, but at least that song used an off-kilter word as its selling point.
Baddie‘s biggest issue is its monotony. The song doesn’t really go anywhere, relying too heavily on its sticky groove. The melodic pre-chorus could use more bite and the adlibs need to be doing something more than the requisite “na na na‘s” we’ve heard so many times before. I like when the rap interacts with the vocal harmonies towards the end of the track, creating a fuller texture. More details like this could have elevated Baddie into an offbeat highlight.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
