ITZY X GALACTIKA, working together for the fourth time followed by their previous hits ‘DALLA DALLA’, ‘WANNABE’, and the ‘LOCO’ Due to the pandemic, we couldn’t travel the world. But we can feel the love through the comments!” – Yeji Sneakers” grabs on to that liberation promptly, with marching beats warming us up for the big launch. Against a groovy rat-tat of drums, the group readies themselves – “put my sneakers on, Tie ‘em up, ready, get, set, go” – and proudly takes control: “Don’t need no guidance. I’m making my way, I’m on my way up.” ITZY expresses the confident attitude of “I am confident that I can express myself honestly” to “I will enjoy my way” with their new visual. The music video is about girls awakening to the value of freedom through “SNEAKERS”, which draws attention to the presence of the girls who take big steps towards to better future. With their trademark powerful dance performance, ITZY continues to lead the 4th generation idol era. Ji-hye, Kim (July 15, 2022). "[팝's신곡]"원래 두려운 게 없어 난"..ITZY, '스니커즈' 신고 당당한 발걸음"[[Pop's new song] "I'm not afraid of anything", ITZY's SNEAKER Released]. Herald Pop (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 4, 2021 . Retrieved July 15, 2022– via Naver.

‎CHECKMATE - Album by ITZY - Apple Music

In addition, ITZY’s full-length album released in September 2021, < CRAZY IN LOVE > ranked 11th on ‘Billboard 200’, making their highest charting entry yet, and placed 12th on ‘Artist 100’, confirming the hottest worldwide popularity.Everyday, I feel grateful for my [fellow] members,” Yuna says. For her, it’s a comfort to know that even among the busy days, she’ll always have support: “Leaning on each other, I feel like I’m not alone. I am really grateful that I have someone.” I’ve noticed that all of our members are very caring and also very careful at the same time,” Lia muses. “We might have different personalities, but no one is going to ignore other people. For example, if Chaeryeong has something to say, she’s not the type of person who just goes out and just says it. We know that, so we try to make that atmosphere where everyone can talk about what they feel.”

ITZY - Checkmate - Reviews - Album of The Year ITZY - Checkmate - Reviews - Album of The Year

Their first world tour, it has been a long time coming for ITZY, who saw the pandemic strike barely a year into their career. “[I’m looking forward to] meeting our fans face to face, the screaming,” Chaeryeong says, smiling shyly. “ Especially the screaming,” Ryujin emphasises. “Since it’s been, like, two years that we haven’t heard the real screams from our fans, I really missed it. I’m really looking forward to it!” Kim, No-eul (July 15, 2022). " "내 멋대로 갈 거야"…여름 불태울 ITZY의 '스니커즈' (쥬크박스)[종합]". Xportsnews (in Korean) . Retrieved July 16, 2022. APMA 2022】亚洲流行音乐大奖2022年度入围名单"[[APMA 2022] Asian Pop Music Awards 2022 Shortlist]. Weibo (in Chinese). December 13, 2022 . Retrieved 2022-12-16.

CRITIC REVIEWS

It’s easy to spot the sisterhood that comprises the core of ITZY’s humanity. It’s as evident on calls as it is on screen – while Lia leads through most of the interview, she deflects to Yeji seamlessly. Ryujin’s calm energy is a contrast to Yuna’s excitable charm, and when the shy Chaeryeong speaks, the others silently encourage her and help her out.

CHECKMATE | ITZY Wiki | Fandom CHECKMATE | ITZY Wiki | Fandom

Yuna adds: “[‘Domino’] describes the relationship not only among [the members of] ITZY, but also [between] ITZY and MIDZY (their fans) very well through the lyrics. I think this song also shows all the process we came through to release this album.”As we chat, it becomes clear how much the members of ITZY have grown to rely on one another over the years. Despite some of their personalities being worlds apart, they meld together seamlessly as a team, both on and off stage. “Our teamwork and our bond have gotten much better,” Lia reflects. ITZY are a group of all-rounders, yet every member possesses specific talent – think Lia’s powerful voice or Chaeryeong’s razor-sharp dance moves – that assures each of them an important role in the group. “Because we understand each other so well, we know what kind of person they are,” Lia shares. “We know what kind of people [each of] ourselves are, so we wouldn’t want to be someone else.”

ITZY Interview: New Album ‘Checkmate’ and Expectations

We practice for performances a lot… like a lot .” She said, “And when the audience watches it, people compliment us saying: ‘Your performance looks difficult for a girl group. It looks straining for a girl group. It’s too cool to be a girl group.’ These don’t exactly sound like compliments to me.” Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of July 20, 2022". Billboard Japan (in Japanese) . Retrieved July 20, 2022. A few years ago, I used to be more unstable,” Lia recalls. “[It wasn’t] only confidence. I was unstable because I was very unsure of myself. I wasn’t sure if what I was doing was right or correct. I didn’t have a clear idea of what I was doing at that time. I was doing what I [could] do– like at my best – but I didn’t know exactly where I was heading.” Dongre, Divyansha (July 15, 2022). "Itzy Embrace Their Queenship in the Latest Music Video for 'Sneakers' ". Rolling Stone India . Retrieved July 16, 2022. The closest descriptor she gets to is “family,” and even that pales in comparison : “Although families are [usually] the closest person, they could listen to you, but they can’t [a] hundred percent relate to you because they haven’t been in your shoes.”

ITZY showed unrivaled presence in KPOP field by satisfying the tastes of MZ generation (Millennial generation born in the early 1980s to early 2000s, and Generation Z born in the middle of 1990s to early 2000s), with their perfect live skills and performance on stage. ITZY as “4th generation representative girl-group”, they aim worldwide fandom and music industry in this summer with their new album that has their strong leap forward. ITZY once again delivers a hit song with GALACTIKA, “SNEAKERS” showcase their chemistry from prior collaborations on ITZY’s iconic songs ‘DALLA DALLA’, ‘WANNABE’, and ‘LOCO’. In addition, Swedish composer Sebastian Thott, who worked on the song ‘Mirror’ from the first full-length album < CRAZY IN LOVE > , joined to increase the song’s perfection. All of us have evolved a lot,” says Chaeryeong at some point during our conversation. Truer words have never been spoken: Since their debut in 2019, ITZY have transformed from free-spirited teenagers into self-assured young women. They have preached self-love as their core message from the very beginning, but it is also clear that they are constantly undergoing metamorphosis, becoming more polished, more daring, more at home in their own skin with every release.