Just a couple of weeks ago, there were tweets asking about ITZY’s whereabouts. While they may have been active — shooting vlogs, birthday song covers, video podcasts, finishing up their first world tour and performing at countless music and college festivals — what fans, especially their MIDZY, wanted to know was where the new music was.
“Now?” Chaeryeong shyly said on Good Day New York earlier today (6/21). “We are planning our next album.”
In other words, an ITZY summer comeback is expected.
But before warmer and hot days provided by the five members approach, they casually sat in the private back room of Junior’s Cheesecake in the heart of Times Square, catching up with me for a light dinner. Surrounded by plates of disco fries, wings, and a few slices of the restaurant’s signature cheesecake, this highly-anticipated meet marked the last stop of their press day before going back to Seoul.
The previous weekend, the group headlined Day 1 of 88rising’s first-ever Head In The Clouds music festival in New York. Faced with torrential downpours throughout the whole day, the rain stopped right before Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna took the stage. It was a miracle but also ironic, given that it metaphorically symbolized ITZY’s coming, whether it was foreshadowing them owning the stage and making the festival their own concert, or the fact a comeback filled with new music and content is on its way.
“Weather fairies,” the group’s leader Yeji joked at the table. Speaking in English, her tone shifted slightly to reflect how she admired concertgoers who waited for them all day in the rain. “There were so many people at Head In The Clouds, and at the same time the weather was very tough. I’m really touched by our MIDZY because of the bad weather.”
Though the group has performed in the States in the past through showcase tours, their own world tour, or convention-concerts like KCON, the 88rising music festival was their first outdoor festival in the US.
“We were all really hyped from our tour,” Lia, the power vocalist, said. “So we were really very happy to hear the news about the festival ‘cause the excitement from our tour was still with us.”
In a span of 45 minutes, ITZY, along with an army of backup dancers, took over the main stage and performed 10 songs Saturday evening. The set included special dance breaks and extended performances to some of the hit singles like “Not Shy” and “LOCO” as well as fan favorite b-sides like “SHOOT” and “Nobody Like You.” (“We remixed the songs to have the rock vibe, knowing everyone loves that in the festival [setting], so we had to do the band [instrumentals],” Ryujin said.) To say the least, the set was a concert as the group invited a sea of attendees in raincoats, hoodies, and ponchos to jump, chant, and sing their hearts in the night’s breeze.
Yet, calling themselves “weather fairies” is a new title that suits them, along with the many others they’ve accumulated since their debut in 2019. ITZY, whose name is a play on the Korean word “to have it all,” is one of the pioneering acts that introduced the fourth generation of K-pop artists, or rather the emergence of the new era; to which some may argue is the 3.5 generation. As a representative of one of South Korea’s best-performing acts, the five-member ensemble are well-decorated in awards, records, and achievements. They’re the queens of confidence, often praised for their charismatic, jaw-dropping performances and stage presence, as well as their various ways of instilling self-love in their music.
However, within the last year, fourth-generation K-pop has seen the rise of girl groups with songs going viral, topping charts, and being highly in demand. Many can even agree that 2022 was the renaissance of girl groups. The demand was only met with more debuts of female acts whether solo, groups, or sub-units. Rather than seeing it as a competition, it’s a moment for ITZY to be grateful.
“For me, it’s an honor to be a part of it,” Ryujin explained. “There are so many things that we could learn from other groups. So, we’re really glad that we have many friends [in the industry] around us. I think it’s [having] the comradery with other groups, so we can see each other and learn from each other. And we can run [towards our own goals] with each other.”
In a side conversation relating to the topic, the five members openly shared their inspirations and current likings of fellow K-pop acts, both senior and junior to them — Girls’ Generation, Chung Ha, NewJeans, f(x), and many more. But since the year began, with many groups releasing new music, fans and netizens were quick to notice ITZY’s whereabouts.
“We are working on the new album,” Ryujin casually said while nodding at her plate, picking up a wing with her fork. “I think that’s the thing that we can tell you. It’s a very typical thing to say but—”
“Only that!” Lia interjected with a laugh.
“We are preparing the next album!” Chaeryeong said while smiling.
Pretty much mirroring what was said on GDNY, fans already knew a comeback was on the way just by the sudden change in Lia’s hair color. Being the only member who hasn’t bleached her hair since debut, the vocalist went blonde just last month. “I was actually worried before dying it,” Lia said, leaning a bit over the table to emphasize what she was saying. “It’s not like I wanted to do it, but it was a suggestion because I never tried dying my hair after debut. It was always dark so somehow I thought ‘Okay. I guess it’s my turn.’”
Around the same time before Lia’s Barbie blonde transformation, a video of the group exiting a boxing gym surfaced on MIDZY Twitter. So it was an obvious ask on my end to pop the question. Gasping at my discovery, the members were impressed at the detective work done but refused to budge and reveal anything further. (“That’s another level of deep dive,” Ryujin said, while Chaeryeong sat there with an expression reading “Wow.”) “That is top secret!” Yuna said as she turned to me and gestured to be quiet about it. Perhaps, boxing is a part of it after all.
“Ooh! You really do look at everything,” Lia said, as she smoothly shifts the conversation about picking up the sport as a hobby, rather than spoiling their new concept even more. “But these days I box at home with gloves when I get stressed out.”
Prepping for an album behind the scenes and trying to cover it up — all while fulfilling public appearances — can certainly stress out artists like ITZY who are constantly on the go and in demand. However, they tend to overcome it by accepting it all and making sure to treat themselves tenfold whenever they can, like what they’re doing right now sharing a gigantic slice of cheesecake topped with fresh strawberries. (Ryujin, who admits to not being a planner, tends to go with the flow, while Yuna leans towards eating spicy dishes like spicy rice cakes or spicy dry pot, while the others may get a massage and do a self-care day.)
Despite a long tiring day, the conversations and laughs shared at the table became a good recharge, or “healing time,” session for them. By the end of it all, the meeting was another metaphor for realizing where they’re mentally at: they’re just getting ready for the next chapter in their music careers.
Though openly admitting to still being nervous here and there, the group is positive fans will like the new songs. “We’re still a little bit nervous because we had lots of songs before,” Yuna said. “When we release the new music, I think our fans will love these new songs on the album but that thinking makes me nervous.”
Ryujin leaned a bit closer to the phone recording the conversation, as if she was speaking directly to MIDZY. “We’ll do our best to show you guys a great show, stage, anything. So, please look forward to it,” she said.
The upcoming EP, titled KILL MY DOUBT, is a culmination of the hard work and hustle the group has gone through the past couple of months. It’s a step toward their goal of being an unforgettable group to the masses. And with headlines already surrounding the news, ITZY’s impact on this K-pop generation is just getting started. It’s just the beginning of bigger things ahead.
“Coming soon!” Yeji smirked, confidently confirming new ITZY is indeed on the way; already shutting down any doubts. As expected from the leader, it’s very ITZY of her to say.
