IVE is back with a superhero concept. The six-member group pre-released the title track “Looks Can Kill” on October 19 at 6 p.m. KST, and the full mini album of the same name arrives on October 26, according to SBS. It is the group’s first release in about eight months, since the full-length REVIVE+ in February, per The Korea Times.

Key facts

• Album: “Looks Can Kill,” IVE’s fifth mini album, from Starship Entertainment (SBS).
• Dates: title track pre-released October 19 at 6 p.m. KST; full album due October 26 (Starnews).
• Tracklist: six songs, led by the title track “Looks Can Kill” (Starnews).
• Concept: “Girl Hero,” the third “Another Ego” chapter after “Cupid” and “Magical Girl” (Starnews).
• MV status: No. 1 on YouTube’s Music Video Trending Worldwide chart right after release, per Starship (Starnews).

What Is “Looks Can Kill”?

“Looks Can Kill” is the fifth mini album from An Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, Jang Wonyoung, Liz and Leeseo. SBS reports that the project extends IVE’s “girl fantasy” universe by adding a “girl hero” alter ego.

Starship began teasing the release on October 2 with images styled like a superhero movie cast announcement, with each member posing in a different hero look and masks released as props, according to Starnews. The label announced the comeback date on September 27, per Martin Cid Magazine.

IVE’s own words frame the idea as encouragement. AN YUJIN said the group captured “the way we positively influence one another and create new changes,” while LIZ said she hopes listeners will think, “That is IVE for you.” Both quotes are English translations published by SBS.

Looks Can Kill Tracklist and Credits

• “Looks Can Kill” (title track, 3:15)
• “Mirror Mirror” (3:20)
• “SNAKESKIN” (3:21)
• “CRUMBS” (3:08)
• “Girls Girls Girls” (2:42)
• “Glow Motion” (3:01)

The tracklist was revealed on October 4, per Starnews. Track lengths come from the same listings that carry the full six-song order.

On the credits, Rei is named as a lyricist on the title track in every report. SBS lists Seo Ji-eum and Lil Cherry alongside her, and Martin Cid Magazine adds more names. Outlets differ on the rest of the writing team, so this article sticks to the names they share.

“CRUMBS” carries lyrics by Gaeul and Liz, and “Glow Motion” features a credit for pop artist Zara Larsson with producers Margo XS and Cecile Believe, per Starnews. The same report notes that Margo XS and Cecile Believe worked on the production of Larsson’s “Midnight Sun.”

The “Looks Can Kill” MV and Performance Videos

The music video went live on Starship’s official YouTube channel with the pre-release. Martin Cid Magazine describes members in color-coded suits, with scenes that keep cutting back to them as stars hired to play heroes on a film set. Starship’s own line, quoted there, is that the story moves from IVE playing heroes to IVE being heroes.

Musically, the title track is electronic dance pop that opens on a synth-pad rhythm and adds heavy bass and driving drums, as SBS and Martin Cid Magazine both describe. The bridge shifts the mood, per Martin Cid Magazine.

IVE’s own channel also posted a performance video and a fan-focused cheering guide, both aimed at fans learning the song.

Chart Performance and Records So Far

Per Starship, the MV hit No. 1 on YouTube’s Music Video Trending Worldwide chart right after upload. Starnews adds that it ranked No. 1 in six countries and regions (South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Canada and Brazil), reached the top 10 in 18, and charted in 34 as of 9 a.m. on October 20.

Views grew quickly. Martin Cid Magazine reported more than 2.2 million views on Starship’s channel within roughly five hours. A fan-run tracking account later posted a figure of 5.3 million views in the first 24 hours, but that post comes from a fan account, and Starship has not confirmed it.

Domestic streaming has been quieter. According to MTN, the song stood at No. 18 on Melon’s real-time Hot 100 and No. 22 on its Top 100 as of 9 a.m. on October 21, which the outlet did not describe as a standout start. The album is not out yet, so there are no first-week sales figures.

Background, Versions and Pre-Order Prices

IVE debuted in 2021 and has built its catalog on hits such as “ELEVEN,” “LOVE DIVE,” “After LIKE,” “I AM” and “Kitsch,” per MTN. The same piece notes that the group has not yet entered the Billboard Hot 100 or Billboard 200.

Live demand is strong. MTN says IVE’s second world tour covered eight North American cities in arena venues, and the group drew a combined 127,000 fans over two shows at Tokyo Dome and Kyocera Dome in Japan.

The comeback is also a large marketing push. The Korea Times reports that Starship built the release around a cinema concept, with projection mapping on Seoul high-rises and film-style posters in Seongsu.

MTN reports three standard versions named “GIRL HERO,” “HERO COMICS” and “HERO ON SET,” plus six member-specific digipack editions. Prices were 58,600 won for the three-version standard set and 84,600 won for the six-digipack set. The outlet also criticized splitting the album into many versions as a questionable sales tactic. See the MTN report for details.

I found no official pre-order total from Starship at the time of writing, so treat any sales number circulating online as unconfirmed until first-week data arrives.

How Fans Are Reacting

The clearest verified signal is audience activity on IVE’s official channel. The group’s MV Reaction video had about 200,600 views and a Shorts clip titled “GIRL HERO Performance” had about 446,700 views, according to the channel’s public RSS feed, checked October 24 at 11:43 UTC.

Those numbers are a snapshot, and they measure interest in the content rather than how fans feel about the song. This article does not quote individual comments it could not verify.

Stage promotion has begun. IVE performed the song on Mnet’s M Countdown on October 22 (official Mnet video), on KBS Music Bank on October 23, where NCT WISH won with “I SPY” at 8,352 points per Soompi, and on MBC’s Show! Music Core on October 24 (MBC upload). No music show win has been reported for the song yet.

What’s Next

• October 26: the full “Looks Can Kill” mini album is scheduled for release (SBS). The sources used here do not state the release time, so check Starship’s official channels for it.
• October 26: ILLIT’s “BREAK EVEN” lands at 6 p.m. KST and RIIZE issues a prologue single the same day, per The Korea Times.
• After release: first-week sales and Circle Chart results will be the first hard numbers for the album.

For more of the week’s releases, see our coverage of the LISA PRESS PLAY EP, the ILLIT, LE SSERAFIM and KATSEYE collaboration, and ILLIT’s earlier Billboard 200 debut.

FAQ

When does IVE’s “Looks Can Kill” album come out?

The mini album is scheduled for October 26, 2026, following the title track pre-release on October 19, per SBS. The release time is not stated in the sources used for this article.

How many songs are on “Looks Can Kill”?

There are six tracks: “Looks Can Kill,” “Mirror Mirror,” “SNAKESKIN,” “CRUMBS,” “Girls Girls Girls” and “Glow Motion,” according to Starnews.

Who worked on “Glow Motion”?

Starnews lists Zara Larsson with producers Margo XS and Cecile Believe on the track. Check the final credits on the album release for the full songwriting list.

Where can I watch the “Looks Can Kill” MV?

The official video is on Starship’s YouTube channel, embedded above and available at the STARSHIP channel.