EXCLUSIVE: ITZY talks 'GUESS WHO' comeback and what they miss about their Filipino fans
Back on April 30, JYP Entertainment girl group ITZY made huge waves in the K-pop industry after releasing their fourth extended play, “GUESS WHO,” with the lead single “In the Morning.”
The track, described by Forbes as “one of ITZY's boldest and most experimental sound yet,” talks about secretly stealing someone's heart and references to a popular party game Mafia. “In the Morning” was also written by JYP Entertainment founder Park Jin-young and songwriters Danke, Kass, and composer Lee Hae-sol.
In less than a month, the music video for their lead track has already garnered more than 117 million views on YouTube and counting, making it their quickest video to reach the milestone.
The South Korean girl group, comprised of Ryujin, Yuna, Yeji, Lia, and Chaeryeong, sat down with GMANetwork.com for an exclusive interview and talked about making an impact in the music industry and the importance of connecting with their fans -- affectionately known as MIDZY -- amid a pandemic.
When talking about making their comeback, “GUESS WHO,” member Yuna observed that the group has become closer than ever when preparing for the album.
“I found that we have a great development this time,” she tells GMANetwork.com.
“And the greatest point that I can feel is that we can express each member's identities more vividly this time. I hope you would love it.”
Talking about the choreography of “In the Morning,” Chaeryeong notes, “There's a lyric in the song that goes, 'It's the break of day again.'
“In that part, there's a stretching choreography that matches well with the lyric because we move our head as we are looking at the sun. I think that is the point of the choreography of the track.”
Member Lia also noted how the comeback had more meaning given that their adoring fans were quick to show their love and support from around the world in the middle of a global health pandemic.
She quips, “We believe that this is the comeback that our fans and many people have been waiting and looking forward to. So, we worked really hard on preparing this album.
“We are grateful that our fans and so many people love our track 'In the Morning' and cheered for us during promotions. Therefore, we are really happy and find it a really precious and meaningful time.”
Speaking of their fans, ITZY also released the digital single “Trust Me (MIDZY)” last March during their first fan party for their growing fanbase, which they described as their “heartfelt letter to fans.”
“Since the chance that we can meet our fans in person has decreased, we found that communicating with our fans is important,” Ryujin recalls.
She adds, “Furthermore, we get to feel that we have a significant relationship with our fans. So, as much as we are far away from them, as much as they give us support from far away places, we try to work hard to get the chance to communicate with them.”
The quintet shared a few of their fondest memories with Filipino MIDZY during their “ITZY! IN MANILA” concert in December 2019, held in the New Frontier Theatre in Cubao, Quezon City.
Ryujin recalls, “I can remember the energies they were giving to us, especially when they cheered for us while we are on stage. For me, it's the memories when we are on stage are the ones I cannot ever forget.”
Dubbed as the “4th Generation Leaders,” the members shared how honored they are to bear the title and their vision for the group in the years to come.
Yuna shares, “I would like to try a fresh and lively concept for ITZY's style. Something refreshing and lively would be really pretty for us, and we can wear jeans with a white shirt.”
Leader Yeji says, “We are grateful to be called as '4th Generation Leaders,' and we will try harder to improve so that we can prove to the world that we are fit for the title.
“We hope you guys will keep an eye out for us.”
While it seems like it was only yesterday when ITZY broke barriers when they made their debut in 2019 with their single “Dalla, Dalla,” Ryujin, Yuna, Yeji, Lia, and Chaeryeong show no signs of stopping as they continue to mold not only themselves but the industry that made them a
global phenomenon -- and we can't wait for more. -- Text by Cara Emmeline Garcia
Watch their full interview below: