Play in this article ↓IVE ELEVEN: The Two-Song Debut That Started a Record-Breaking Run
- Category: Album & Song Guide
- Artist: IVE
KPOP NO1 Editorial · Sources checked October 22, 2026
A little over a year after debuting, IVE won the Best New Artist award and the grand prize at the same ceremony. According to Sony Music Japan, no one had done that before at Korea’s Golden Disc Awards. It all started with a two-song single album called ELEVEN.
The debut: December 1, 2021
ELEVEN is IVE’s first single album, released on December 1, 2021, the day IVE debuted. STARSHIP’s official discography lists ELEVEN as both the album and its title track. STARSHIP: IVE
| # | Song |
|---|---|
| 1 | ELEVEN |
| 2 | Take It |
The ELEVEN music video went up on STARSHIP’s YouTube channel at 6 p.m. KST on release day. Take It was posted on IVE’s own channel about an hour later.
The name: I HAVE
Sony Music Japan’s official profile explains the group name: IVE means “I HAVE.” Behind it is a resolve to show what “I” and “we” have, confidently and in IVE’s own way. Sony Music Japan: IVE profile
The six members are YUJIN, GAEUL, REI, WONYOUNG, LIZ and LEESEO.
Six films before the debut
In the two weeks before ELEVEN, IVE’s channel introduced the members one at a time in films called SHOW WHAT I HAVE, a phrase that echoes the meaning of the group’s name:
| Date (KST) | Member |
|---|---|
| November 15, 2021 | YUJIN |
| November 16, 2021 | REI |
| November 17, 2021 | LEESEO |
| November 18, 2021 | LIZ |
| November 19, 2021 | GAEUL |
| November 20, 2021 | WONYOUNG |
Dates come from the official IVE YouTube uploads. The IVE beginner guide has all six films.
Our take: Watch the six films in order before ELEVEN. By the time the debut video starts, you’ll already know every face.
What the debut started
ELEVEN was the first of three single albums. STARSHIP’s discography lists LOVE DIVE (April 5, 2022) and After LIKE (August 22, 2022) next. According to Sony’s profile, those three title tracks won 37 music show trophies in total.
The awards came quickly too. Sony lists:
- Best New Artist honors at the 2022 Melon Music Awards, the 2022 MAMA Awards and the 2022 Asia Artist Awards In Japan.
- At the 37th Golden Disc Awards in January 2023, IVE won the Best New Artist award, a main prize (bonsang) and the grand prize (daesang) at once. Sony calls it the first time anyone had done that.
ELEVEN in Japanese
ELEVEN also opened IVE’s career in Japan. According to Sony:
- IVE debuted in Japan on October 19, 2022, with ELEVEN -Japanese ver.-, which reached No. 1 on Oricon’s daily ranking.
- At the end of that year, they appeared on NHK’s 73rd Kohaku Uta Gassen.
The release at a glance
| Format | 1st single album, two songs |
| Released | December 1, 2021 |
| Title track | ELEVEN |
| Japanese version | ELEVEN -Japanese ver.-, October 19, 2022 |
How to listen for the first time
- Watch the six SHOW WHAT I HAVE films. They came first.
- Then watch ELEVEN. It’s the debut.
- Play Take It. It’s the other half of the single.
- Try ELEVEN -Japanese ver.- It was IVE’s first release in Japan.
Where to go next
- The first full album: I’ve IVE, with I AM and Kitsch.
- A later EP: IVE EMPATHY, with REBEL HEART.
- Meet the members: the IVE beginner guide.
- The latest: Looks Can Kill, out October 26, 2026.