"What if our imagination becomes reality?"
The girl group ifeye has finished a long nine-month hibernation and is ready to be in full bloom. Returning with their third EP "As if" on the meaningful occasion of their first anniversary, ifeye maintained their solid sense of identity by strengthening teamwork despite the turmoil of a change in their agency's system and main vocal Sasha suspending activities.
Debuting on April 8, 2025, ifeye (Kasia, Rahee, Won Hwayeon, Taerin, Miyu), who made an impression as having "all members center visuals" and being a "next-generation performance idol," will release their new record As if at 6 p.m. on the 15th. After the longest hiatus since debut and returning with their first anniversary, the members' faces showed not so much nervousness as the composure of second-year pro idols who have grown, along with excitement and anticipation.
After a fiercely busy year, the ifeye members said in unison that they finally felt the weight of the time passed and the love of their fandom, ifory, through their first-anniversary fan meeting.
Kasia said, "Although many people celebrated with us, it didn't feel real until recently at the first-anniversary fan meeting when we traded quick back-and-forth moments with fans and I felt, 'Ah, we've really reached our first anniversary,'" she said. Taerin also added, "We pre-released a fan song and watched a video covering our year of activities, and I realized we made so many memories together. It was an overwhelming feeling."
Their attitude and resolve toward the stage deepened through growing pains. Taerin said, "At the debut stage I had no composure because I wanted to show everything we had prepared, so my expressions were stiff. Now I know how to be natural," and Won Hwayeon expressed confidence, "As I learned how to express the strength of my clear voice, my expressiveness has developed a lot." Rahee showed a mature side, saying, "As it's been two years by count, I feel a strong responsibility to show a professional idol image."
This comeback came during a period of many changes inside and outside the group. There were systemic changes, such as producer RyuDi stepping down as creative director and producer, and youngest member Sasha went on temporary hiatus for health reasons, leading them to perform as a five-member unit. But ifeye took this time as an opportunity to strengthen their fundamentals.
Rahee showed inner strength, saying, "During the hiatus we really talked a lot with each other. Even if the system changes, our desire to be on stage doesn't change, so we stayed steady and focused on the new album." About Sasha's absence, Won Hwayeon explained, "We harshly trained with vocal lessons and practice so the main vocal's absence wouldn't be felt. We also doubled our efforts on performance to fill that spot."
During the confusing period, honest conversations were what brought the members together. Rahee took the lead in creating a space to open up for Won Hwayeon, who usually didn't show when she was struggling. Won Hwayeon recalled, "By honestly sharing inner stories, we learned things we didn't know and the team became very close." Miyu also expressed gratitude to Rahee, saying, "Through that time we understood each other's personalities more deeply, and it was a meaningful time that cleared our hearts." Kasia showed affection, saying, "As a leader I didn't know how to lead the team, but over the past year the members helped by saying, 'You can be comfortable,' so now I lead the team with confidence."
The mini album's title track, "Hazy (Daisy)," is a pop track that highlights an easy-listening sensibility and puts a girlish, dreamy concept at the forefront along with ifeye's trademark intense performance.
At first the members were skeptical about the drastic transformation. Miyu confessed, "At first everyone worried it might be too different from previous songs and that we might lose ifeye's color." Rahee agreed and said, "But once we recorded it in our voices and added performance, it felt more trendy and hip, and rather than losing ifeye's color, it felt preserved."
Even within the new concept, the group's identity is clear. Kasia emphasized, "Vocally we created a dreamy feeling, and for the parts with strong beats we added rhythmic and hip-hop elements into the choreography. We didn't lose our distinctive performance strength." Especially tracks 3 to 5 on this album increased authenticity because the members participated directly in the story. Won Hwayeon was confident, "Since the story we directly shared became a song, we can show a charm filled with sincerity."
The goal of ifeye, having endured a long hiatus, is bigger and clearer than ever. Taerin expressed the wish, "Since 'Hazy (Daisy)' is a song that captures the girl's fluttering heart that suits spring so well, I hope that every spring people will think, 'This is when I should listen to an ifeye song.'" Rahee conveyed a bold ambition, saying, "Since this song has mass appeal, we expect a high rank on the music charts. Last time we were a candidate for No. 1, and this time we definitely want to win a music show trophy for first place."
ifeye did not forget to greet the fans who waited for a long time. Miyu and Kasia promised, "We prepared and grew a lot during the long hiatus. We will enjoy it without regrets to meet expectations," and Won Hwayeon and Taerin pledged, "Returning with a pure, dreamy concept, we will show pretty and bright stages that ifory can be proud of."
Girls who are turning "imagination" into "reality." Despite the confusing and chaotic atmosphere, they strengthened their teamwork and became firmer, and now they finally meet fans for the second chapter. ifeye's third EP As if, which will announce the group's new trajectory, will be released on various music sites at 6 p.m. that day.
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