From journaling and meditating to watching Wes Anderson motion pictures and taking nutritional vitamins, ITZY ensures they prioritize their private well-being amid the Okay-pop woman group’s large 2024 Born to Be World Tour, hitting the U.S. subsequent month.
Taking a second to share their experiences on the street throughout a couple of (busy) non-tour days in Korea, the Okay-pop woman group well-known for dynamic performances and self-love anthems pauses to replicate. Whereas ITZY admits touring throughout six continents to this point requires huge quantities of bodily and psychological vitality, it’s the audiences and the members themselves they’ll rely on to replenish them each night time.
However for the instances they aren’t connecting with their followers — affectionately often known as MIDZY — or each other, the group finds methods to stability the demanding way of life with psychological well being as a precedence for the members. As people, Yeji practices honesty, Ryujin enjoys her free time to the fullest, Chaeryeong journals to course of her feelings, and Yuna meditates. The group’s sturdy bond is obvious even in a makeup-free night Zoom name from the JYP Leisure places of work in Seoul because the 4 members end each other’s sentences, crack smiles over one another’s solutions, and likewise share how they communicate with fellow member Lia, who has been specializing in her psychological well being after taking an prolonged hiatus from the group since final September relating to “rigidity and anxiousness.”
As ITZY gears up for 10 North American concert events, commencing on June 6 at Seattle’s WAMU Theater, the ladies stay up for bringing their newest Billboard 200-charting album Born to Be album to life, displaying off their reside band for the primary time within the States, and speaking on a deeper degree with native followers.
As Could is Psychological Well being Consciousness Month, who higher than the sincere barrier-breakers of ITZY to share how they’ve matured? Whereas psychological well being nonetheless faces stigma and prejudice world wide — and isn’t as broadly mentioned in Korea in comparison with America —Yeji, Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna converse candidly in regards to the methods they’ve matured, elements they’re engaged on and, maybe most significantly, the bond that retains them going collectively.
“The most important supply of motivation for me is our members, ITZY,” Chaeryeong says. Learn for extra from the quartet about this important matter and plans for his or her upcoming concert events.
Billboard: Thanks for taking time in the midst of your world tour. You’re between dates earlier than the Japan and U.S. concert events begin, so how has the tour been to this point?
Yuna: It was our first time in Europe and Latin America, so it was actually, actually like a brand new expertise for us. There have been some actually stunning cities and we actually loved that point. For me, I actually preferred Amsterdam. The climate and the individuals are actually good — and the views had been so good. Everybody ought to go.
You had 13 days off out of your Could 4th live performance in Madrid to your Could 17 live performance in Toyko. What do you do throughout this time?
Yuna: We’re tremendous busy! [Laughs]
Ryujin: There are various issues that we’re engaged on, but additionally we’re getting ready for these huge reveals and our Japanese comeback [with “Algorithm”]. We’re at all times training or doing one thing to assist us obtain issues, I believe?
I’ve heard artists share a spread of various emotions about touring. From it being too exhausting to followers being their vitality. What are your experiences?
Chaeryeong: To talk truthfully, it’s positively true that we’ll expend plenty of our bodily and psychological vitality [on tour]. However as soon as we go on stage, I believe it will get all deleted — we get that a lot vitality from our followers. So, it’s a beautiful expertise for me.
Yuna: Once I go to new cities to do concert events, I attempt to do my greatest on the stage for our followers. However I additionally spend as a lot time as I can with my members. That’s form of the therapeutic level for me, in addition to the best way I heal throughout touring. Simply their existence actually helps me. Once I’m onstage and see our members’ faces, that’s all of the assist I want.
Are there particular methods you’re employed to remain wholesome on the street — bodily, mentally, or emotionally?
Yeji: There’s a doctor who was with us on tour for each spot we go. The doctor really helpful I take a vitamin powder that’s supposed to assist the physique with vitality. She mentioned that it’s actually useful if we hold it in our throat and swallow it abruptly, and I’ve discovered that’s been actually useful in maintaining me wholesome, so I hold following that recommendation.
Chaeryeong: To maintain my vocals sturdy, I carry propolis with me — it’s a gel sort of medication that you just put in your throat. It may be minty and soothing; I believe it’s well-known in New Zealand? That’s good on your throat.
Yeji: I additionally attempt to change my vocalizations and the best way I make sounds on the stage. A lot of time, I’ve to attempt to do much less to not pressure my throat and [save my voice for the next concert date].
Could is Psychological Well being Consciousness Month, and I believe it’s an ideal alternative to share the way you assist your psychological and emotional well being. What are some belongings you do individually to handle your self?
Chaeryeong: For me, I write in my diary. I write issues that I like or very detailed completely happy recollections so I can memorize, like, each little element for a very long time. However there are additionally issues I write once I’m having a tough time, the unhappy or detrimental recollections, to drop these emotions off from my coronary heart.
Yuna: I at all times attempt to find time for self-focusing time — writing and meditating. I actually concentrate on myself and that’s how I keep centered. Nevertheless it’s so arduous. Once I meditate, I are inclined to at all times go to sleep. [Laughs] It’s additionally a great way to go to sleep!
Ryujin: I don’t actually do something particular for my psychological well being, however I give free time to myself. As you understand, a tour and our performances require plenty of vitality, and likewise now we have a job that now we have to satisfy many individuals. So, I believe when I’ve free time, I take advantage of that point to regain my vitality once more and do the issues that I like — watching a film in a theater or rewatching a collection or drama once more. There are so many nice motion pictures and dramas, but when I needed to suggest one, I might select The French Dispatch. It’s a Wes Anderson film. It’s actually touching, however on the identical time, there’s plenty of selection in it.
Yeji: Today, I’m making an attempt to be sincere about my very own emotions and what I really feel. If one thing unhappy occurs, even simply barely, I really feel that emotion sufficient after which can simply “let it go.” I’m making an attempt to react absolutely on my emotions and snort on the small issues, too.
Yeji, it’s fascinating to listen to that you just’re being sincere together with your emotions now. As ITZY’s chief, did you typically dismiss your emotions when main a group?
Yeji: Since our debut and our early levels, there have been some instances I did attempt to conceal [my feelings] as a result of the group is essential. However as of late, even when I attempt to conceal every little thing, the members know me so properly — we’re household — that even when I attempt, they know first how I really feel and suppose. So, I don’t have to really conceal — and that’s why I’m making an attempt to get extra sincere with expressing my emotions.
Thanks for sharing these, ITZY. She’s not right here with us proper now as a result of she’s additionally specializing in her psychological well being, however how are you maintaining in contact with Lia?
Yeji: Simply the opposite day, I watched a video from the previous with all 5 of us and I texted it to Lia. So, we talked and chatted. We’re all maintaining in contact along with her typically.
Wanting wider, being an artist—in Okay-pop particularly, however anyplace on the earth—requires a powerful mentality. You had been all youngsters if you debuted and now you’re adults. How have you ever seen yourselves maturing since then?
Ryujin: We had been all youngsters and it was our first expertise to have a group like this the place we caught with one another 24-7. At first, once we had been all collectively, it was a bit bit arduous to be with and work with individuals totally different than me. ITZY was simply 5, however it was actually arduous to grasp one another — regardless of that it was solely 5. Understanding each other took time. However I believe after fighting the members and speaking quite a bit, the largest distinction from that point and now could be my understanding of others. There was a a lot wider vary of individuals I really feel like I can perceive now.
Yuna, because the youngest member who debuted if you had been 15, what have you ever discovered?
Yuna: It’s been fairly some time since we’ve debuted, so I believe I discovered to turn into extra used to circumstances and folks — what’s wanted within the environment of our lives [as K-pop stars]. So, I obtained to grasp these realities way more deeply. However the greatest factor I attempt to preserve is my ardour — the fervour I obtained and the sentiments I had at my first stage [performance]. My greatest factor is making an attempt to maintain that.
Thanks for discussing an vital matter. The U.S. leg of the Born to Be Tour begins in June. Have you ever ready something particular or totally different for these reveals?
Yuna: English! We’re getting ready 100% of our viewers speaking in English to speak extra.
Yeji: Not solely are among the venues larger and the concert events really feel larger in scale, however we paid plenty of consideration and poured quite a bit into the directing of the live performance. So you’ll be able to see a brand new course within the levels in addition to the VCR too. Whereas now we have taken many dancers who’ve been with us on previous excursions, I believe the number of performances has additionally been upgraded a bit greater than the final world tour, Checkmate.
Chaeryeong: We even have a reside band which is a giant level for the brand new tour.
That is the Born to Be World Tour centered round your album of the identical identify, together with ITZY’s first-ever solo songs you all wrote, composed, and carry out in live performance. How was the expertise, and can we see extra songwriting?
Yeji: After engaged on my solo track [“Crown on My Head”], I got here to know that it’s fairly a really troublesome course of and never quite simple. So, I obtained to thank the workers, composers, writers, and people individuals round me who at all times write and make songs for us. So, really, this track grew to become much more treasured to me as a result of I acknowledged how troublesome this course of is and that’s why I can carry out on the stage with my complete ardour. As for future songs, I’ll at all times attempt if I’ve an opportunity. Yeah, if I’ve an opportunity.
The rest you need to share with followers earlier than the U.S. tour dates?
Ryujin: To start with, we’re coming to you in June so please come to our live performance. We’re at all times grateful for you supporting us regardless of the tons of of miles of distance. We’ll attempt our greatest to see you guys way more typically. Thanks.
Yuna: Additionally, it’s our second world so it will likely be extra…extra…there will likely be a lot extra issues to see so please come to our live performance!