Girl group Ifeye marked their first anniversary since debut and shared their feelings.
Ifeye (Kasiah, Ra-hee, Won Hwayeon, Sasha, Taerin, Miyu) will release their third EP As if in full and the music video for the title track Hazy (Daisy) on various music platforms at 6 p.m. on the 15th.
Ifeye debuted on Apr. 8, 2025, with a name that means "girls who make imagination into reality." Debuting as Hi-Hat Entertainment's first girl group produced by famous choreographer RyuD, Ifeye drew high expectations even before their debut. Following their first EP ELRU BLUE, which highlighted a sense of "mystery" and "innocent chic," they made a comeback with mini album 2 Wave "Nang" Pt.2 "sweet tang(스윗탱)" on July 16, 100 days after debut, shedding their mysterious girl image for a more mature and confident presence that left a strong impression.
After achieving a successful debut based on a unique concept and outstanding skills, they proved their growth potential through a lightning-fast comeback three months later and a bold concept change. Dubbed "all-center visuals" and "next-generation performance dolls," Ifeye returned nearly nine months later with their third EP As if.
As if began with the two-syllable word "what if" and thematically explores questions everyone has probably repeated to themselves at least once. It weaves into flowing sounds the exhilarating feeling of a love kept only in the heart, fleeting emotions that flash by in an instant, and another story that might have unfolded had different choices been made, bringing those possibilities into the reality beside us.
Below, a Q&A from Ifeye's comeback interview
Q. You marked your first anniversary since debut. How do you feel?
Kasiah: I didn't really feel it strongly, but many people around me congratulated us on our first anniversary, and we recently held a first-anniversary fan meeting with Ifori (the fandom name). The back-and-forth with fans went well then, and I felt like we became much closer, so I think that's when I realized, "Ah, it's our first anniversary."
Taerin: I couldn't believe it was our first anniversary, but the fan meeting made me feel it. It seems like we haven't been debuted for long, but I felt we became much closer to Ifori, and we pre-released the fan song included on this album and released a video covering our year of activities. Watching that made me realize how many memories we've built.
Ra-hee: It's our first anniversary but in terms of calendar years it's our second year. In the second year I thought we should show a more professional idol side, and I felt the first year passed quickly, so while it's a bit regretful, I thought we should work harder and practice more to repay the expectations.
Miyu: I'm not the type to feel these moments deeply, but hearing it's already been a year made me think a lot. That's when I felt the first anniversary, and I realized we've grown a lot, so I'm feeling that it's been a year.
Won Hwayeon: On the day of our first anniversary, we posted a video on our YouTube channel showing the congratulations we received when we debuted. Watching that video made me feel a lot of freshness, and that's how I realized it was our first anniversary.
Q. Looking back on your first year, what were the regrets and what are you looking forward to?
Kasiah: Personally, what I regret is that I get very nervous. Because we quickly followed our debut with our first comeback, I was very tense and I think I showed a lot of frozen expressions on music show stages. That part is regrettable, but I gained experience through various stages, so I'm looking forward to this comeback. As second-year idols, I think we can show a more professional side with a bit more growth than in the first year.
Ra-hee: In our first year I regret that we couldn't show many of our charms and different sides. In this album, I want to show a lot of our variety skills and each member's individual charms. I'm excited for this promotion and expect we'll be able to show each member's appeal.
Won Hwayeon: Through various stages I've gained experience points. This year I want to show a more grown-up and diverse side. This song itself contains many of our different charms, so I'm very excited.
Q. You were active last year and are about to start activities this year. What has changed compared with a year ago?
Taerin: At the debut stage I had a strong desire to show everything we prepared, so I had little composure. I showed nervous expressions on stage and couldn't show much facial acting. Now I have more composure and I think I've learned how to make expressions and how to be more natural.
Won Hwayeon: I'm gradually finding more of my strengths. I have a bright and clear voice, and during R U OK promotions I thought it might not suit me well but I tried hard to find my fit. Now I know how to express what I have, and my expressiveness has improved a lot.
Ra-hee: I think I've gained more know-how as an idol. With experience in appearance management and other areas, I feel more like an idol.
Miyu: Watching our debut stage I could see how nervous and shaken I was. For this promotion I tried hard so that those parts would be less visible. I felt I lacked facial expressions and seemed to lack charm, so I worked to improve that.
Kasiah: I used to get so nervous going on stage that even if I prepared 100% I could only show about 50%. For this promotion I want to be less nervous and more composed so I can convey exactly the emotions I feel in this song.
Q. What was the most overwhelming moment during your year of activities?
Kasiah: We held our first fan concert in Taipei. I've wanted to hold a concert since my trainee days, and performing on a stage full of people who love us made me so happy and overwhelmed beyond words. At the end the fans surprised us with an event and I got choked up watching it. It coincided with my birthday, and the fans sang the birthday song for me, which I was so grateful for and it left a lasting memory.
Ra-hee: The first-anniversary fan meeting is memorable. We pre-released the fan song and showed a video covering our one-year journey. I felt we'd grown up a lot, and the lyrics made me tear up and feel overwhelmed.
Won Hwayeon: Early in our debut we went to a university festival where we and the students sang that school's song together. I felt overwhelmed then. I wanted to create mass singing with our songs, so that moment stands out.
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