ITZY, the highly anticipated new girl band under JYP Entertainment, declared with confidence its ambition to become an “unprecedented” success as a rookie group.

As newcomers on the scene and the first girl group coming out of JYP since Twice debuted in 2015, Chaeryeong, Yeji, Lia, Ryujin and Yuna held a press showcase in Seoul on Tuesday for their debut single album, “IT’z Different.” At the event, they talked about their ambitions and future goals.

The group’s name means “got it” in Korean -- reflecting the idea that “ITZY’s got everything you want.” Some of the band members have already appeared on several K-pop audition shows.

“We received lots of attention and spotlight before our debut, and we will do our best to repay all the love. We will also try not to leave any scratch on the reputation built by senior K-pop groups,” Ryujin said.




Setting the tone for what’s to come in the future, the act’s hard-hitting single “Dalla Dalla” exudes confidence and sass as the girls showcase their distinct styles while singing and rapping to the rambunctious hip-hop EDM-infused tune. “Dalla” means “different” in Korean, and the singers are an inspiration as they belt out the empowering refrain: “I’m different from other kids. Don’t try to measure me by your standard. … I love myself, I’m somewhat different, yeah. I’m different from you.”

The act’s efforts to differentiate itself from the herd is also shown in the single’s vibrant music video, where the girls showcase their badass vibe while clad in flashy sequined outfits.

Asked how the teen group differed from Twice, Chaeryeong said, “If Twice is lovely and beautiful, we pursue a bright and energetic teen-crush image.”

Yeji, the group leader, said, “We have quite an unprecedented aura.”

Chaeryeong, whose sister Chaeyeon is part of IZ*ONE, went onto express her excitement about the band’s debut, saying, “I’m looking forward to meeting my sister at music shows. I thank my family for supporting me through the hard times.”




The event also saw the girls paying tribute to JYP’s most iconic girl groups by dancing to a medley of Wonder Girls’ “Irony,” Miss A’s “Bad Girl, Good Girl” and Twice’s “Ooh-Ahh.”

“Preparing for the medley performance was very meaningful to me, as I had passed the audition by performing ‘Ooh-Ahh.’ We will try to show more various, new charms,” said Yeji. “We hope to become an unprecedented ‘monstrous’ group.”

ITZY is just getting started, but the rookie band already has one important accomplishment to its name: The music video for “Dalla Dalla,” released prior to the band’s debut, received over 14 million views within 24 hours of its release on YouTube. The record made ITZY the first-ever K-pop act to surpass the 10 million view mark within 24 hours on YouTube.




The group wrapped up the event by declaring its future goals and chanting its group slogan: “All in us, ITZY!”

“We hope to make 2019 our year, and we hope to receive a rookie award,” Yuna said.

By Hong Dam-young (lotus@heraldcorp.com)