Either Way
Album
I’VE MINE (1st Mini Album)
Release Date
September 25, 2023
Genre
Alternative R&B / Pop
Composers / Lyricists
Sunwoojunga, Ryan S. Jhun, Luke Fitton, Lauren Aquilina, Liam O’Donnell
About the Song
《Either Way》 is a reflective pop track recorded by the South Korean girl group IVE, released on September 25, 2023 as the first single from their Korean mini album I’VE MINE under Starship Entertainment. Written by acclaimed lyricist Sunwoojunga and composed by Ryan S. Jhun, Luke Fitton, Lauren Aquilina, and Liam O’Donnell, the song blends soft, dreamy synth textures with a calm, introspective atmosphere that highlights the group’s subtle emotional delivery. It explores the freedom that comes from letting go of other people’s expectations, embracing personal nuance, and acknowledging the many versions of oneself that coexist within everyday life.
The release of 《Either Way》 marked the beginning of the three-part rollout for I’VE MINE, followed by “Off the Record” on October 6 and “Baddie” on October 13. Premiered alongside a visually understated music video on September 25, the single showcased IVE’s ability to shift into a more intimate and understated sonic palette while maintaining the emotional clarity that defines their discography. Composed in A♭ major with a gentle tempo of 123 BPM, the track emphasizes vulnerability over spectacle, positioning itself as one of the group's most nuanced and quietly compelling releases.
[FULL LYRICS – ROMANIZATION & ENGLISH ONLY]
this song captures how people project completely different images onto the same person, from “annoying show-off” to “too soft and naive,” and turns that confusion into a gentle affirmation that every version of you is still you. through small, everyday examples—friends who feel like older sisters, someone who seems laid-back but is secretly fragile, mbti jokes about “you’re i and i’m e”—the lyrics show how labels and outside judgments keep shifting, while your inner self stays whole. instead of choosing one fixed identity or deciding who’s right or wrong, the chorus repeats “either way, i’m good / you’re good / we’re good,” suggesting that all these sides can coexist just like different ways of loving or living. by the end, the song quietly insists that you don’t have to pick only one face, one emotion, or one way to be seen; holding both love and hate, strength and vulnerability at once is perfectly okay, and sharing a small smile together in that mess is enough.
