ifeye

There's a particular kind of pressure that follows a debut year. The introductions have been made, the foundations laid, and suddenly the question shifts from who you are to what you are becoming. For ifeye, that question has an answer – and they're ready to give it.

For this exclusive KPOPWORLD pictorial, five of the six members – Won Hwayeon, Taerin, Rahee, Kasia, and Meu – arrive at a studio in Seoul and settle into something that feels less like a shoot and more like a hang. In one frame, they're leaning into each other on a row of chairs, heads resting on shoulders, the kind of easy closeness that belongs only to them. In another, they're standing together with an assured stillness – denim-heavy and styled with a kind of fashion-forward unhurried coolness.

On the day, the atmosphere matched. "It was very enjoyable," says Taerin, "and the direction and feedback made the shoot smooth and comfortable." Won Hwayeon is equally straightforward about how it landed: "The results turned out better than expected, and I was very satisfied with the teamwork and direction." Looking ahead to the final images, Kasia puts it simply: "I hope we are seen as a group that can pull off a wide range of concepts." On this evidence, that's not a hope – it's a statement of fact.

The six-member group made their mark in 2025 across two EPs that, together, mapped out a group discovering how much range they had. ERLU BLUE arrived first, led by the charming dance-pop of "NERDY" and bookended by the sleek, sophisticated bounce of "Bubble Up" and the ethereal pull of "IRL." It was an introduction that refused to settle on a single register – and what they had in store next by way of sweet tang pushed further. "loverboy" opened with energy and rhythm; “friend like me" leaned into pop-rock with an ease that felt natural rather than forced. "round and round" delivered slick, confident dance-pop, and "say moo!" hid something more interesting beneath its playful country-pop exterior – the word "moo" drawing on a Korean character meaning "nothing," making it a track about simplicity and inner freedom as much as anything else.

Then there was "r u ok?" – bassy, a little sassy, a lot of fun. The visual language in the MV makes the ambition plain: members dancing on tabletops while farmyard animals roam free, choreography performed inside the back of a moving truck in a visual world that feels gleefully unhinged. Running through it all is a recurring motif of eyes – trucks painted with giant pupils, a makeshift outdoor cinema, a tilted camera dropped to the floor blinking like an eye as the members check in around it – watching, perceiving, being seen. It connects back to the group's own name in ways that don't feel like a coincidence. In 2025, ifeye were being watched as a new group with something to prove; "r u ok?" suggested they were entirely comfortable with that – and had every intention of making it interesting along the way.

The release became the highlight of their catalogue so far, accumulating a devoted listenership and marking ifeye as a group worth paying close attention to. A buzzed-about set at KCON LA 2025 with "r u ok?" as the centrepiece underlined the point. By the end of the year, they weren't just a promising new act. They were stars on the rise with serious momentum behind them.

Now, with their third EP As if, that momentum has a direction which has been earned. For Rahee, the shift became clear during the making of this record. "While preparing for our third album, we started expressing more of our own opinions as artists," she says, "which made us feel like we were creating something ourselves rather than just performing what was given." It's a small distinction that means everything – the difference between executing someone else's vision and asserting your own is where groups start becoming artists.

ifeye have always had the instincts. What 2025 gave them was the confidence to act on them. "I think we just feel it," says Won Hwayeon, on the question of how the group knows when something is working. "Whether it's music or choreography, there's a clear sense of when something could be made better." That internal compass – collective, instinctive, hard to manufacture – is what separates groups who grow, from groups who simply continue.

The members bring distinct energies to the same shared space. "Since each member has different styles and strengths, we learn a lot from one another and inspire each other in how we approach music," says Meu. Won Hwayeon describes how that translates in practice: "While expressing our individuality, we make sure to maintain the overall tone and atmosphere in our music, and the rhythm and overall formation in our choreography, so that the balance of the team is not disrupted." 

From the outside, ifeye read as a group with a duality at their core. "I hope people see us as a group that genuinely enjoys and loves performing and music, rather than just focusing on a cool concept," says Won Hwayeon. Taerin offers the counterpoint: "I want people to feel that we are a chic group that is not easily approachable." Both are true, and the tension between them is productive. Rahee frames it differently again: "I hope we are seen as a group that becomes more intriguing the more you watch us." Kasia lands on the synthesis: "A pure yet chic image, where innocence and chicness coexist." For Meu, it comes back to the individual: "I hope we are seen as a team where every member has a distinct individuality and leaves a lasting impression."

Growth, for ifeye, isn't accidental. "I believe growth is something you actively create," says Taerin. "It requires constant effort, reflection, and pushing yourself to reach the next level." It's a mindset that shows in the work. "Throughout the production process, all of the members worked hard to make sure there were no regrets," says Meu. "I hope that sense of thoughtfulness and effort comes through in the music."

What drives that effort, at its core, is something more personal than ambition. For Kasia, it traces back to a long-held dream. "What makes our music special to me is that it contains our own voices," she says. "It has always been my dream to hear my voice in songs, so it means a lot to me." Outside the studio, the inspiration is just as personal. "I get inspired by things I find cool," says Rahee. "Seeing something impressive motivates me to become better, and that leads to better results."

The As if era is the moment their story starts moving faster. "This is an important stage in our growth where we are establishing ourselves as ifeye," says Won Hwayeon. Taerin puts it in motion: "It has been a time of strengthening and preparation, and we are excited to show how much we've grown." Rahee calls it plainly what it is: "A defining period where we are discovering who we are as a team." Kasia sees it as proof of range: "I think this is a time to show our diverse potential and different sides." And Meu holds the longer view: "We are still in a learning stage, and I want to continue growing and improving."

That combination of ambition and humility is what makes ifeye worth watching. The debut year built their foundation – and this is what they’re building on top of it.

Editor’s note: Sasha of ifeye was not present for this interview or photoshoot.

When you think about ifeye as a group, what feeling do you most want people to associate with you?

Won Hwayeon I hope people see us as a group that genuinely enjoys and loves performing and music, rather than just focusing on a “cool concept.”

Taerin I want people to feel that we are a chic group that is not easily approachable.

Rahee I hope we are seen as a group that becomes more intriguing the more you watch us.

Kasia I hope the first impression is a “pure yet chic” image, where innocence and chicness coexist.

Meu I hope we are seen as a team where every member has a distinct individuality and leaves a lasting impression.

How has your relationship with each other changed the way you approach music?

Meu Since each member has different styles and strengths, we learn a lot from one another and inspire each other in how we approach music.

Is there a moment in your career so far that felt like a turning point for you as a group?

Rahee While preparing for our third album, we started expressing more of our own opinions as artists, which made us feel like we were creating something ourselves rather than just performing what was given.

When you are creating together, how do you know when something is right?

Won Hwa yeon I think we just feel it. Whether it’s music or choreography, there’s a clear sense of when something could be made better.

What does your music give you personally that nothing else does?

Kasia What makes our music special to me is that it contains our own voices. It has always been my dream to hear my voice in songs, so it means a lot to me.

How do you think about growth – is it something you actively chase, or does it happen naturally?

Taerin I believe growth is something you actively create. It requires constant effort, reflection, and pushing yourself to reach the next level.

If someone listened to your music for the first time today, what would you want them to take away from it?

Meu I hope listeners can feel the level of detail and care that went into each song. Throughout the production process, all of the members worked hard to make sure there were no regrets, so I hope that sense of thoughtfulness and effort comes through in the music.

How do you balance your individual voices with a shared identity?

Won Hwa yeon While expressing our individuality, we make sure to maintain the overall tone and atmosphere in our music, and the rhythm and overall formation in our choreography, so that the balance of the team is not disrupted.

What inspires you outside of music, and how does that find its way into what you create?

Rahee I get inspired by things I find cool. Seeing something impressive motivates me to become better, and that leads to better results.

What does this era mean to you – where do you feel you are right now, as artists?

Won Hwa yeon This is an important stage in our growth where we are establishing ourselves as ifeye.

Taerin It has been a time of strengthening and preparation, and we are excited to show how much we’ve grown.

Rahee This is a defining period where we are discovering who we are as a team.

Kasia I think this is a time to show our diverse potential and different sides.

Meu We are still in a learning stage, and I want to continue growing and improving.

What was the atmosphere like on set today, and did anything surprise you?

Won Hwa yeon The results turned out better than expected, and I was very satisfied with the teamwork and direction.

Taerin The atmosphere was very enjoyable, and the direction and feedback made the shoot smooth and comfortable.

When you see the final images, what do you hope they say about who ifeye are right now?

Kasia I hope we are seen as a group that can pull off a wide range of concepts.

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This feature is taken from our fourth printed issue, available for purchase here.