IVE delivers a bold Evil Cupid transformation in their latest trailer, offering a refined yet darker reinterpretation of Cupid. The video features symbolic actions, tense pacing, and cinematic visuals that build anticipation for the album IVE SECRET. Online communities praised its artistry, with comparisons to legendary filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci.
IVE Transforms into Striking Evil Cupid
IVE — An Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, Jang Wonyoung, Liz, and Leeseo — has taken a dramatic turn with the bold Evil Cupid concept. On August 8, Starship Entertainment premiered the trailer for the group’s fourth mini album IVE SECRET through their official YouTube channel. The production reimagines Cupid’s bright and romantic image, presenting a refined yet darker interpretation that embodies IVE’s artistic identity.
IVE Brings Evil Cupid to Life
The trailer introduces six Cupids, each carrying a unique and mysterious secret. Members are seen dropping a tumbler, making a subtle finger cross, and retrieving a revolver hidden in Cupid’s Guidebook. These small yet loaded gestures unfold under natural daylight, symbolizing a concealed, shadowy side of Cupid. The contrast between the soft lighting and the unsettling actions builds a quiet tension that runs throughout the video.
An Yujin Drives the Narrative Forward
Midway through the trailer, An Yujin shifts the pace. Watching a quarrel between couples via CCTV, she notices an urgent machine alert demanding a quick response. Without hesitation, she takes action, setting events in motion. Other members follow with symbolic acts — firing a revolver at a unicorn, burning paper cranes — dismantling the image of a gentle Cupid and revealing the unflinching resolve of Evil Cupid.
Dark Imagery and Lyric Teasers Heighten Anticipation
As the trailer nears its climax, IVE appears in black-themed outfits, emerging from the shadows with countless glowing goat eyes behind them. The members vanish with enormous black wings, delivering an intense and chilling finale. The scene is paired with a preview of a track, featuring the line: “Lift the veil, a secretive Myth / Good and evil coexist right in my expression.” These words sharpen the trailer’s atmosphere and deepen curiosity about the album’s core message.
Evil Cupid Concept Anchors IVE SECRET
Scheduled for release on August 25, IVE SECRET aims to break free from predictable storylines, spotlighting hidden attitudes and multi-layered identities. Through the title track XOXZ and other songs, the group will explore the coexistence of opposites — surface and depth, virtue and vice, elegance and mischief — demonstrating that such contrasts can thrive within a single team. The album release will mark the official start of IVE’s comeback activities.
Trailer Receives High Praise from Online Community
On the Korean forum MLBPARK, fans and viewers responded with enthusiastic reviews. Many praised the trailer’s atmospheric quality, saying it heightened expectations for the new album. One comment even compared the visual mastery to filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci’s works, noting his skill in handling a camera “like a pencil” — a level they felt this trailer matched. Fans also enjoyed rewatching to spot their favorite members in subtle moments, adding a personal layer of excitement to the viewing experience.
IVE released the trailer for their fourth mini album IVE SECRET on February 8 through their official YouTube channel.
Thank you so much for reading this post! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to share them in the comments!
No way, this concept is so good lol. They put in so much effort, and that final song is just so sleek and awesome.