REVIEW

The debut album from Tokyo alternative pop duo iVy.

Formed in 2023 by fuki (Vo/Gt) and pupu (Vo/Key), who first connected via social media, the project initially centered on home recordings and relatively private activity via SoundCloud. As their live performances accumulated, they began to draw wider attention, leading to the release of their first EP “Yuuei Program.” Built around the fictional character iVy-chan, their work—depicting introspective emotions through vividly colored sound—quickly gained traction. In less than two years since their first show in October 2023, they successfully headlined their first one-man at WWW in August 2025, followed by their first overseas performance that November, signaling a rapid rise in presence both domestically and internationally.

“Apatite,” named after the pale blue gemstone associated with iVy-chan’s image color, suggests the album’s clarity and dreamlike atmosphere. The dreamy palette established in their previous work appears further refined here, expanding into a more varied and emotionally dynamic approach while emphasizing pop sensibility and touches of humor.

Tracks like #2 “White River Junction,” with its dense guitar textures that suggest a resonance with Wisp, and #3 “Vampire,” where catchy, dreamlike tones contrast with self-critical lyricism, highlight the album’s tonal duality. Meanwhile, #6 “Any Noise” introduces a poetry-inflected passage that conveys a palpable emotional urgency, and #12 “FamilyRestaurant Rock” builds momentum through siren-like synths, evoking a euphoric, party-like lift.

Across the record, a succession of colorful compositions unfolds, creating an experience that can feel like being dropped into an amusement park—restless, vibrant, and constantly shifting. Compared to the previous release, the overtly melancholic mood may appear somewhat subdued; however, this seems more like a surface-level shift than a fundamental change. A closer look at the lyrics suggests faint undercurrents of unease and fragility beneath the pop exterior.

There are echoes of tonal contrasts found in original Grimm fairy tales, as well as narrative sensibilities reminiscent of MOTHER and UNDERTALE, where innocence coexists with subtle darkness. That tension appears to be a key part of the project’s emotional pull.

Additionally, the lyrics are arranged to flow seamlessly with the melodies, at times functioning less as semantic carriers and more as elements of pure phonetic pleasure. This balance—between sharp pop intuition and the tactile, almost musical quality of language itself—can be seen as one of the defining factors behind iVy’s growing appeal.