IVE Sweep Triple Crown at 2025 MAMA Awards with ‘REBEL HEART’ as Global Trend Song and Extend Their 7-Straight Million-Seller Streak
K-pop girl group IVE (Ahn Yu-jin, Gaeul, Rei, Jang Won-young, Liz, and Leeseo) clinched a triple crown at the 2025 MAMA AWARDS held at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium on November 28. The group won ‘GLOBAL TREND SONG’ with their track ‘REBEL HEART’, while also taking home ‘FAVORITE GLOBAL PERFORMER’ and ‘FAVORITE FEMALE GROUP’. Despite the ceremony being held under a somber atmosphere following a deadly apartment fire in Hong Kong, Korean media highlighted IVE as one of the night’s most symbolic winners, praised for delivering music that centers on comfort, empathy, and emotional connection.
Through their agency Starship Entertainment, IVE shared that they were especially grateful to receive such support from DIVE and the public throughout a busy year of activities, adding that it felt ‘even more meaningful’ to win with ‘REBEL HEART’, a song built around empathy and solidarity. The members remarked that, as time passes, they increasingly reflect on what kinds of messages and positive influence they can deliver through music, hoping that IVE’s stages will continue to serve as genuine strength and warm comfort for listeners. This stance closely aligns with this year’s MAMA concept, which focuses on embracing one’s true self across diverse cultures and backgrounds.
Released as the pre-release single from their third mini-album ‘IVE EMPATHY’, ‘REBEL HEART’ achieved a ‘Perfect All-Kill’ on major Korean music charts shortly after its January release, with local media describing it as the start of a new IVE wave. Over the course of 2025, the song went on to secure 11 music-show wins. Combined with four trophies for the title track ‘ATTITUDE’ and five for ‘XOXZ’, the title track from their fourth mini-album ‘IVE SECRET’, IVE accumulated a total of 20 music-show trophies in a single year—further solidifying their status as a benchmark fourth-generation girl group in terms of digital performance and overall impact.
On the physical side, IVE have also become a powerhouse. From their second single ‘LOVE DIVE’ through to their fourth mini-album ‘IVE SECRET’, all seven of their releases have surpassed one million copies sold, earning them the title of a ‘seven-straight million-seller group’. This streak demonstrates not only consistent purchasing power from fans in Korea and abroad, but also how the group maintains strong brand identity while frequently shifting concepts, styling, and musical direction. For advertisers and event organizers, IVE have clearly transitioned from ‘rookie sensation’ to a mainstay act with proven drawing power and sustained buzz.
IVE have also left a strong imprint on the global live circuit. After impressing audiences at ‘Lollapalooza Chicago’ last year with solid live vocals and commanding stage presence, the group was invited this year to perform at both ‘Lollapalooza Berlin’ and ‘Lollapalooza Paris’, becoming the first K-pop girl group to appear on Lollapalooza stages two years in a row. They were additionally included in the lineup for ‘ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2025’, one of Japan’s four major rock festivals. Through these large-scale outdoor events, facing diverse international crowds, Korean media have framed IVE as a key act defining the global image of ‘K-festival performance’.
The 2025 MAMA ceremony took place in Hong Kong just days after a devastating high-rise apartment fire that resulted in heavy casualties. In response, organizer CJ ENM cancelled the red-carpet event and scaled back certain segments, opting for a more restrained and respectful tone. Against this backdrop, IVE expressed condolences to those affected and donated 500,000 Hong Kong dollars—around 100 million won—to the Hong Kong Red Cross to support relief and recovery efforts. Several outlets emphasized the dual significance of their good deed and musical achievements, framing IVE’s triple crown not only as a record of success, but also as an emblem of solidarity and comfort during a difficult moment for the host city.
On the touring front, IVE kicked off their world tour ‘SHOW WHAT I AM’ with a three-day run at Seoul’s KSPO DOME from October 31 to November 2, signaling the start of a new global cycle. According to Korean reports, the group plans to extend the tour in 2026 to multiple cities across North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Backed by their MAMA triple crown, strong digital and physical metrics, and growing festival résumé, IVE are expected to further consolidate their status as a leading next-generation K-pop girl group. For readers tracking the trajectory of Hallyu, the concepts of their upcoming releases and the scale of their tour expansion will be key storylines to watch heading into 2026.
[KStarLoud Deep Dive] The three trophies IVE picked up at this year’s MAMA neatly map onto three different axes: platform metrics, stage power and brand position. GLOBAL TREND SONG reflects aggregate streaming, social buzz and virality, showing that ‘REBEL HEART’ has real traction across short-form and music platforms. Favorite Global Performer foregrounds their live credentials, tying directly into the goodwill they’ve built at festivals like Lollapalooza and ROCK IN JAPAN. Favorite Female Group then functions as the umbrella label that packages those achievements into a statement about generational status. From an industry perspective, IVE’s strategy now looks less like a spike on any single metric and more like a balanced triangle of digital hits, physical sales, music-show wins, festival stages and public-facing goodwill such as donations. That kind of diversified profile encourages promoters and brands to treat IVE as a long-term IP to invest in, rather than a short-term bet riding a one- or two-year hype cycle.