K-pop girl group Itzy learnt more about one another from their debut solo songs
Ever wonder how the members of K-pop girl group Itzy wind down after each gig? Hot baths and beer are involved.
The quintet were in town on April 5, a day before their concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on April 6. While member Lia was absent as she is on hiatus for health issues, the remaining four sat down with The Straits Times amid preparations for their show.
When asked about their pre- and post-concert routines, Ryujin, 22, says: “After I finish a show, I’m really exhausted. But I can’t sleep well because my body stills feels like it is being ‘activated’. So I always take a hot shower or a half-bath – soaking your body halfway with hot water in the tub.”
Yuna, 20, adds: “That’s my routine too, except I’ll have a glass of beer as well.”
Itzy, who spoke in a mix of English and Korean with the help of an interpreter, kicked off their current concert tour Born To Be in February with two shows in Seoul.
The tour, which is named after their sophomore Korean album, travelled to cities such as Bangkok and Sydney before arriving in Singapore, and will continue in London, Paris, Tokyo, Chicago, Toronto and Taipei.
Itzy are known for numbers such as Dalla Dalla (2019), Wannabe (2020) and Loco (2021).
Born To Be is a special album for the group as it has, for the first time, solo songs from all the members. Each also took part in the songwriting and composition process for her own tracks – another fresh challenge for the members.
Yuna says: “Every time there was an update about our songs, we would show it to one another and ask, ‘How is it?’ It was such a process because I got to listen to their concerns and opinions about our solo songs. That’s why this whole album is so different and meaningful to me because I feel like I got to learn about the other members.”
Chaeryeong, 22, adds: “I have a certain image of the members in my head and the songs sound just like how I imagine them to be.”
For example, Yuna says Yeji’s solo, Crown On My Head, flaunts her queen-like charisma; Ryujin’s Run Away is confident and rock-inspired; Chaeryeong’s Mine is a little sassy and sexy; and the lyrics to Lia’s solo Blossom reflects her personality too. Yuna’s own solo is titled Yet, But.
Aside from their first solo releases, Born To Be also comes amid another milestone – Itzy’s celebration of the fifth anniversary of their debut on Feb 12, 2024.
Looking back at the past five years, leader Yeji, 23, says: “Every year on our ‘birthday’, we do many live streams with our fans to communicate with them and we receive lots of congratulatory messages from many people as well. It is in these moments that we look back at our milestones – things we built or went through together.
“I feel super grateful that the members are here with me. I’m very proud of everything we’ve done together and, most importantly, I’m most thankful to our fans – our Midzys – for being with us.”
The group’s time together has brought them all over the world, and to Singapore more than once. They were last in town in January 2023 for their previous world tour at The Star Theatre, and were spotted by fans enjoying sights such as Gardens by the Bay.
When asked what they would like to eat in town this time, the four members gave a string of answers: satay, laksa, chili crab and kaya toast.
But Chaeryeong was the fastest to answer: “Pepper crab.”
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