ITZY On What 10th Mini-Album, ‘Girls Will Be Girls,’ Means To Them

The expression “Girls will be girls!” can mean anything, because girls can be anything. Girls can be powerful, sensitive, kind, loving, brave, fearful, logical, crazy, and many other things.

For the K-pop powerhouse ITZY, “Girls will be Girls” to them means strength, unity, and their bond as a team. It’s why it’s the title of their 10th mini-album, as well as the main track, out now. The quintet – Yeji, Ryujin, Lia, Chaeryeong, and Yuna – have embodied women’s empowerment and confidence since their debut six years ago.

“Our message has been all about loving ourselves, and now, as we celebrate our 6th anniversary, it felt like the right moment to express the bond of being together,” says Yeji. “We thought it would be a great opportunity to show the teamwork we’ve built over the past six years.”

The team has achieved massive success together in the music industry. Their 8th mini-album BORN TO BE debuted at #2 on Billboard’s World Albums charts and #5 on the Top Album Sales chart. Their 2nd World Tour for BORN TO BE had the group traveling across 18 countries, including the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Japan, the UK, and Australia. Last fall, their 9th mini-album, GOLD, became double platinum in Korea. In the U.S., the group had made appearances on MTV’s Fresh Out Live, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and NYC’s Head in the Clouds Festival. They continue to grow both domestically and internationally.

“I think our team itself was the biggest source of inspiration [for the new mini-album],” Lia says. “We’ve become stronger and more solid when we’re together, and I believe it all started from the bond we’ve built since our debut.”

Now that the single and EP are out, ITZY gave insight into their music, what it means to them, their growth over the years, and what to expect next.

LAURA SIRIKUL: How are you guys doing? How have you been feeling lately? What have you been up to besides preparing the album?

YEJI : We’re happily preparing for our comeback. Since there are a lot of festivals and events in May, we’ve been making lots of memories by attending university festivals while also getting ready for our comeback.

LIA: These days, I’ve been spending time preparing for our album, practicing, and managing myself to stay in shape for our comeback! On days when the weather is nice, I try to go out for a walk too.

SIRIKUL: What can you tell me about the concepts (outfits, photoshoots, set design) from this EP? What story are you trying to say with this mini-album?

YEJI : In the trailer, we showcased a lot of high-teen style outfits and aimed for a casual mood so that everyone could relate. In the music video, we created a sense of tension with a Mad Max-like concept to amplify the image of overcoming anything together.

Through this album, we want to convey the message that all the time and effort we’ve put in as ITZY over the years was only possible because the five of us were together. And it was also thanks to all the people who helped us, [as well as] our MIDZYs who listened to our music and gave us love. It was all possible because all these people were made up as “us.”

LIA: In the teaser, we went for a more casual look — styles that we would actually wear in our daily lives — to better express the message of the album. For the title track, we went with a more charismatic and powerful concept. And for the B-side track, like “Kiss & Tell,” the styling is more like something people our age would wear when going out and having fun during the summer!

SIRIKUL: How does this EP represent this journey you’ve all been on as a group?

RYUJIN : We tried to capture the feeling of continuously upgrading and evolving.

CHAERYEONG: It’s a song that suits ITZY as we are now, after being together for six years. It also carries the meaning that there’s nothing we can’t do as long as we’re together, which makes it even more special.

SIRIKUL: What is your favorite song or lyric from the EP that you feel closely connected to?

RYUJIN : This album’s tracks are all so relatable and amazing. It is very hard to choose. However, the lyrics in “Promise” are messages to our fans, which is probably why it stands out in my memory so much.

CHAERYEONG: “Girls Will Be Girls” is the song I’m most attached to! I feel like it really shows the strength and solidarity we have as a group.

SIRIKUL: ITZY as a group has always been an embodiment/representation of [strong, badass women]. Who inspires you as an artist?

RYUJIN: We’re most inspired by our fans, who return the love and courage we give them many times over.

CHAERYEONG: We ourselves are our biggest inspiration! We’re always reflecting on who we are and imagining who we’ll become in the future, constantly thinking about what new sides of us we want to show or express even more to our fans!

SIRIKUL: YEJI, you were the first to release your solo album and videos. How has this experience helped you as a member of ITZY and on the EP?

YEJI: After experiencing what it’s like to do everything alone as a solo artist, I feel like I gained lots of experience during that period. And I think what truly made me happy was realizing that I could bring those experiences and improved skills back to ITZY as a member and use them to strengthen our album.

SIRIKUL: With the EP [now out], what are your plans – will we see another World Tour? Will there be plans for more solo albums from the others?

CHAERYEONG: I can’t share too much just yet, but I can say that after this album, our focus will likely be on preparing our next group album with the highest quality possible. We’re committed to making sure that what comes next reflects our growth and teamwork even better!

YUNA: Even after our album release, we plan to continue staying connected with our fans. While the next world tour hasn’t been confirmed yet, we are always hoping to meet our fans!

SIRIKUL: What message would you want to send to your fans aka MIDZY through your music?

RYUJIN: We want to give back that courage and convey a range of emotions through the way we continue to grow and improve.

YUNA: We want to share messages of comfort and courage with our fans through our music.

ITZY’s Girls Will Be Girls is out now.