Off The Record
Album
I’VE MINE (EP)
Release Date
October 13, 2023
Genre
Pop / R&B
Label
Composers / Lyricists
Ryan S. Jhun, Sivert Hagtvet Hjeltnes, Bård Bonsaken, Hilda Stenmalm, Seo Ji-eum
About the Song
《Off the Record》 is a rhythmic, late-night pop track recorded by the South Korean girl group IVE, released on October 6, 2023 as the second single from their first Korean mini album I’VE MINE under Starship Entertainment. Written by Seo Ji-eum and composed by Ryan S. Jhun, Sivert Hagtvet Hjeltnes, Bård Bonsaken, and Hilda Stenmalm, the song blends a groovy, weighty bass guitar with a sleek mid-tempo beat to capture the thrill of secret feelings shared in the quietest hours of the night.
The release followed a detailed rollout: on September 3, 2023, Starship Entertainment announced that IVE would return with their mini album I’VE MINE on October 13, previewed through three singles—“Either Way” on September 25, “Off the Record” on October 6, and “Baddie” accompanying the album release. A teaser film dropped on October 1, and the full music video and digital single arrived on October 6, expanding IVE’s growing narrative of confidence and curiosity.
Musically, the track is set in B♭ major with a tempo of 108 BPM, creating a subtly hypnotic atmosphere that mirrors the lyrics: a whispered exchange between girls who wonder about love in the middle of a sleepless night. With its polished production and intimate storytelling, 《Off the Record》 deepens the sonic identity IVE established throughout I’ve IVE and sets the stage for the bolder energy showcased in the follow-up single “Baddie.”
[FULL LYRICS – ROMANIZATION & ENGLISH ONLY]
it's 2 a.m., the hour when voices soften and honesty slips out more easily. the night deepens, and with it comes a sense that we can cross lines we wouldn’t in daylight. i confess that my mind wanders to bold, mischievous thoughts—things no one else would ever guess. now we’re in off-the-record mode, a secret space where nothing is filtered. this late-night conversation keeps flowing, unrestrained and restless. behind closed doors, we open parts of our hearts only the dark can hold. we drift toward forbidden places—an island, a fruit, a desire that feels dangerous but tempting. shed your innocent mask, reveal the intentions you hide; i know they're there.
the hush of the room, the closeness of bodies, the thrill of secrets—it all pulls us in. gathered together, we spill everything. the night becomes a round table of truth we’d never say out loud by day. we talk and talk, the kind of talk that blurs boundaries and wakes something reckless.
as the moon sinks, the darkness grows thicker, yet your eyes shine even brighter. i'm looking up at the stars while knowing none of us are sleeping tonight. it's an off-the-record night—one we’ll remember, but never speak of.
