Itzy Broke Down The Creative Process Behind Their New Album "Not Shy," And I Am Obsessed

"I want to try various styles and tell our fans that we are ready and open to showing many different things."

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When asked how Itzy would define their unique style of music, main dancer Chaeryeong quickly says: "I don't want to define our music style! I want to try various styles and tell our fans that we are ready and open to showing many different things."

It's this uninhibited zeal for new genres, sounds, and styles that perfectly encapsulates Itzy's music. The five-membered K-Pop group from JYP Entertainment — consisting of members Lia, Ryujin, Yuna, Chaeryeong and Yeji — made waves when they splashed onto the music scene in February of 2019 with "DALLA DALLA," an unapologetic club anthem about loving the parts of themselves that make them different from everyone else. Since then, the group has solidified themselves as a must-watch K-Pop group with their bold sound and inspiring lyrics that emphatically reinforce the same message: No matter what the world may say about you, there's nothing better than being your bold, confident, and true self.

Itzy is back with their third mini-album, Not Shy, on Aug. 17 (aka, today!). The six-track album sees the group take on new genres and make them their own with their signature powerful vocals, incredible dance routines, and fierce lyrics. From rock and roll guitar riffs and punk rock vocals on "Don't Give A What" to bubbly disco pop on "SURF," Not Shy sees Itzy limitlessly explore their artistry and show off new sides of themselves, just like Chaeryeong said.

We caught up with Itzy to discuss their new album, Not Shy, and how they're creating music that inspires them to be confident.

JYP Entertainment / Via youtube.com

Ready to know all about the album? Let's go!

1. Your new single, “Not Shy,” is all about being bold and going after what you want in life without regret. When do you each feel most confident?

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Ryujin: Umm... Maybe when I swat a mosquito? I don't like bugs!

Yuna: Actually, I think it's when I’m on stage. I don’t mean that I’m the best on stage, but I think I become truly me when I’m on stage.

2. What is your favorite part of the “Not Shy” choreography?

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Chaeryeong: There's a move where I roll my chest with my hands beside it — right at the chorus part. I like it most because it seems simple, but it makes me concentrate on the moves!

Yuna: The same part with Chaeryeong. I think that part is an unexpected and charming part of the choreography.

Lia: The challenge [I faced while recording the album] was actually not about the recording, but the performance and choreography for me, because as you may see, the choreography for "Not Shy" was very difficult. I overcame it by relentless trying and practice!

3. Were there any funny moments that happened while filming the "Not Shy" music video?

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Lia: When Ryujin was getting a simple sports massage to prepare for the performance scene! She was getting the massage outside because we were shooting our music video outdoors — I didn't expect to see that, so it was a funny sight for me.

4. What were your favorite fashion moments from the music video?

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Yeji: I don’t have many chances to wear dresses, so wearing a dress was a new experience! I think the yellow, pink, and green colored dress was very unique compared to the other clothes [that I wore]. It was nice that the dress matched well with my new hair color, too.

Ryujin: I like wearing hats and accessories, so I liked the outfit that has the fedora-like hat with crystals. It was fun to try on various accessories!

5. It's been over a year since your debut! How have you seen your relationship with your fans, Midzy, and each other grow over the last year?

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Yuna: I think Midzy and us are getting closer than ever before as we've been more honest with each other [throughout the last year]. Honesty is also the key point among Itzy members to maintain our teamwork and relationship; we will always keep this in mind and will try to stay strong to make Midzy proud of us.

6. Which song on Not Shy do you think best represents each member of Itzy?

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Ryujin: The song “iD” has a bold and confident mood, so it reminds me of Yuna. “Be in Love” reminds me of Lia and Chaeryeong, because Lia's voice is very charming in this song and I think it also suits Chaeryeong well. “SURF” is for Yeji, as the light mood of this song is perfectly matched to her voice.

7. What is the message that you hope fans take away from listening to the song “iD"?

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Yeji: The lyric goes like, “from start to end, tell me everything. I want to know; tell me your ID." The message may be similar with “Not Shy,” as this song is about truly and confidently expressing your interest, curiosity, and true feelings.

8. Throughout your past albums, Itzy has released music that encourages listeners to be their unique, positive, and confident selves. Why is it important for you to share this message through your music?

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Yeji: Including myself, I think lots of people are struggling to be honest with themselves. I want to support both myself and everyone by providing confidence that everything is okay! I’m happy that Itzy’s songs also help me deal with some confidence-related problems, too.

9. Just like Itzy inspires fans to be confident with their music, who are the people in your life that inspire you?

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Lia: No doubt that it's Midzy and my family [who inspire me].

Chaeryeong: My family always gives me positivity and inspires me. Midzy is always a good inspiration for me to be confident in my life, too.

10. Itzy is known for their summertime anthems, like “IT’z SUMMER,” and now there’s “SURF!” What is your favorite summer memory?

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Ryujin: We went on family trips every summer vacation when I was young. Those memories were the best summer memories for me!

Yuna: Wearing something fresh and pretty and eating delicious food in good restaurants! Eating delicious food with my family, friends, and people I like makes me very happy.

11. What was your favorite part of recording the song "Be in Love?"

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Lia: First, the chorus part is my favorite because it’s rhythmic and catchy, but the best part of recording this song was all about the lyrics. If you listen to the lyrics, it’s a song for Midzy, so it was very heart-warming to record this song.

Ryujin: [The song] has totally different vocal styles compared to our songs before and the warm mood is great. It’s my favorite!

Itzy's new album, Not Shy, is available now!

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.