ITZY (있지)

"Dalla Dalla," released on February 12, 2019, announced ITZY with unusual directness. Where much of the K-pop landscape at the time leaned on aspirational polish, the debut single from JYP Entertainment's five-member girl group carried a blunter message: be yourself, regardless of what anyone else thinks. The song's commercial and critical reception confirmed there was an audience for that stance, and ITZY — Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna — spent the years that followed building one of the more consistent catalogs in fourth-generation K-pop.

Debut and early identity

JYP Entertainment launched ITZY on February 12, 2019, with the group name carrying the implicit meaning "Do you have everything you want? We have it." "Dalla Dalla" established both the sonic template — K-pop production threaded with electronic dance and hip-hop elements — and the thematic one: self-acceptance over conformity. The debut earned the group the Seoul Music Award for Rookie of the Year and set expectations that subsequent releases largely met.

The group followed quickly with the 2019 EP *It'z Icy*, anchored by the single "Icy," and the single "It'z Different," keeping the momentum from their first year intact. The pace of output in that debut period gave ITZY an unusually dense early discography and a clearly articulated image before many groups of the same generation had found their footing.

Music and discography

ITZY's output across K-pop, EDM, and hip-hop has been voluminous and varied. The 2020 EP *It'z Me* introduced "Wannabe," which became one of the group's most durable tracks — a song whose message of self-determination matched "Dalla Dalla" in directness and surpassed it in longevity as a fan touchstone. Later in 2020, *Not Shy* extended the group's reach, and an English version of the EP followed in 2021, reflecting an intent to address listeners beyond the Korean market.

2021 was a productive year in terms of volume and format. The single "In the Morning" and the releases *Crazy in Love*, *It'z Itzy*, and *What'z Itzy* collectively demonstrated the group's comfort across both extended plays and fuller album formats. "Loco," from that period, became another representative work, its tempo and production sitting closer to the hip-hop end of the group's range.

The 2022 mini-album *Checkmate* and EP *Cheshire* marked a somewhat darker turn in the group's aesthetic, and that shift coincided with the Checkmate World Tour, the group's first major international touring cycle. The single "Voltage" from that year registered as one of the group's harder-edged moments.

From 2023 onward, the discography continued at pace. *Kill My Doubt* arrived as an EP, followed by *Ringo* as an album-length project and the song "Cake." The 2024 releases *Born to Be* and *Gold* — bookending a second world tour under the Born to Be World Tour banner — kept the group active across both recorded output and live performance. *Girls Will Be Girls* (2025) and *Collector* (2025) extended the run, and the May 2026 mini-album "Motto" brought the group back after approximately six months away, featuring eight tracks built around a refreshing, melodically forward title track described as carrying positive, credo-driven lyrics alongside a layered, three-dimensional sound. Activities for "Motto" began with appearances on major Korean music programs including *M Countdown*.

Throughout the catalog, "Dalla Dalla," "Wannabe," "In the Morning," "Loco," "Voltage," "Cake," and "It'z Different" function as the clearest markers of the group's creative range.

Members

ITZY's five-member lineup has remained stable since debut:

• Yeji
• Lia
• Ryujin
• Chaeryeong
• Yuna

Activities

Beyond the recorded catalog, ITZY's activity profile expanded considerably through world touring. The Checkmate World Tour and the Born to Be World Tour extended the group's presence across international markets. A dance practice video for the 2019 B-side "THAT'S A NO NO" topped the YouTube daily chart for domestic music videos in early 2026 — six years after its release — reflecting a resurgence driven partly by live performances on the Born to Be tour, where fan response to the song generated what coverage described as a "Daechu No No" phenomenon. The group subsequently performed the track on a special music show stage in March 2026 to meet demand.

Solo work has begun to emerge from within the group. Yuna released her debut solo album *Ice Cream* in March 2026, becoming the second ITZY member to pursue solo activity. The title track was described as bubblegum pop carrying an upbeat message, and Yuna publicly acknowledged both the pressure of performing without her group and the influence of fellow member Yeji's earlier solo work on her decision to undertake the project.

In early 2026, Yeji was diagnosed with a herniated disc ahead of ITZY's Japan concert dates tied to the "Motto" comeback, with JYP Entertainment confirming her performance participation would be limited and that her recovery was the priority. The group has also used its platform for community outreach, including an invitation to underprivileged children and youth to attend the Seoul dates of their world tour.

Standing

Seven years into their career, ITZY occupy a recognized position in the fourth generation of K-pop girl groups, distinguished by a thematic consistency — the self-determination messaging that ran through "Dalla Dalla" and "Wannabe" has remained a through line — and a release cadence that has kept them continuously present in the market. The 2026 chart performance of a six-year-old B-side underlines the depth of the catalog they have accumulated, and the group's ability to sustain world touring while developing individual members as solo artists suggests an infrastructure with enough stability to extend their activity further.