K-pop girl group IVE poses during a press event for the group's new album, held at a hotel in Yeouido, western Seoul, Monday. From left are members Rei, Gaeul, Jang Won-young, An Yu-jin, Leeseo and Liz. Yonhap

K-pop girl group IVE is back and ready to capture the music scene once again with some "ATTITUDE" — both literally and figuratively. After nearly nine months, the six-piece act returns with a new EP, "IVE EMPATHY," and its two standout singles, "REBEL HEART" and "ATTITUDE."

Shifting its focus from self-love anthems to exploring the power of empathy, the girl group now aims to inject a much-needed wave of positive energy into the K-pop landscape.

Celebrating the launch, IVE members — An Yu-jin, Gaeul, Rei, Jang Won-young, Liz and Leeseo — gathered at a hotel in Yeouido on Monday to discuss stories behind the group's third EP, set to drop later that day.

Opening the session, the band's leader, An, said, "I'm thrilled to release an album after such a long time. I can't wait to share it with our fans."

IVE's leader An Yu-jin poses during a press event held to celebrate the group's new album release at a hotel in Yeouido, western Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

The album features two title tracks: the January prerelease "REBEL HEART" and the new song "ATTITUDE." The latter samples American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega's iconic "Tom's Diner," blending its timeless melody with energetic bass and drum sounds for a fresh twist.

"We try various approaches with every album. In 'HEYA,' we used Korean folklore imagery and in 'Accendio,' we explored the magical girl concept," An said, reflecting on the group's creative process.

"Sampling 'Tom's Diner' was one of those experiments ... It's a famous song, but we wanted to reinterpret it with our own story, creating something fresh and appealing."

Jang Won-young, known for her positive "Lucky Vicky" mindset, shared that she brought a personal touch to the lyrics of "ATTITUDE."

"The lyrics reflect an optimistic approach to accepting situations you can't change," Jang explained. "The core message is that the only thing you can change in an unchangeable situation is your attitude."

With a strong following among younger K-pop lovers, Jang added that her group is committed to continuing to make a positive impact on its younger fans.

"We often realize that children are growing up watching us and listening to our music. That makes us more mindful of what we say and do," she said. "We want to keep expressing positive, uplifting energy."

IVE member Jang Won-young poses during a press event held to celebrate the group's new album release at a hotel in Yeouido, western Seoul. Yonhap

IVE has been expanding its global reach since October 2023, when the group embarked on a world tour across 19 countries, performing 37 shows to over 420,000 fans worldwide. The group also treated international audiences to performances at major music festivals last year, including Lollapalooza Chicago and Japan's Summer Sonic.

"Through our world tour, we've become more cohesive as a team and we've grown so much onstage," Gaeul said. "We hope to showcase all that experience through this new release."

An chimed in to express her desire to perform in bandmate Rei's hometown of Nagoya, Japan.

"We've never had a concert there, but I hope we can do a bigger show than our last world tour," she said.

Closing the event, Liz shared her hopes regarding the scheduled promotional activities for "IVE EMPATHY."

"We've always expressed our confidence through our music, and that's what I believe defines IVE," Liz said. "With this album, we want people to think, 'IVE's done it again,' and we promise to keep being a group that everyone will be excited to see."