ITZY Discusses ‘Born to Be’ U.S. Tour Dates and Mental Health Awareness Month

From journaling and meditating to watching Wes Anderson films and taking vitamins, ITZY is prioritizing personal wellness in the K-pop girl group’s blockbuster 2024 lineup. Born to Be World TourIt’s due to arrive in the US next month.

The K-pop girl group, known for their dynamic performances and self-love anthems, took a moment to share and reflect on their (busy) few days on the road outside of their South Korea tour. ITZY admits that traveling to six continents so far takes a huge amount of physical and mental energy, but they can count on the audience and the members themselves to replenish it every night.

But when they’re not interacting with their fans or each other, as they’re affectionately known as MIDZY, the group finds ways to balance their demanding lifestyle with their mental health, which remains a top priority for the members. Yeji Practicing honesty Dragon God Make the most of your free time Chaeryeong Keep a journal to sort out your emotions Yuna During a makeup-free evening Zoom conference call from the JYP Entertainment offices in Seoul, the four members’ strong bond was apparent as they completed each other’s sentences, laughed at each other’s answers and talked about how they kept in touch. rearhas been focusing on her mental health since taking an extended hiatus from the group since September last year citing “stress and anxiety.”

ITZY is gearing up for 10 North American shows, starting on June 6th at Seattle’s WAMU Theater, where they are looking forward to performing their latest Billboard 200 album. Born to be They celebrated the completion of the album by performing with a live band in the US for the first time, connecting with their hometown fans on a deeper level.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so who better to share how they’ve grown than the barrier-breakingly honest ITZY? While mental health still faces stigma and stigma around the world and is less widely discussed in Korea compared to the U.S., Yeji, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna speak candidly about how they’ve grown, what they’re working on, and perhaps most importantly, the bond that keeps them going together.

“The biggest source of motivation for me is our members, ITZY,” says Chaeryeong. Read on to hear more from the quartet on this important topic and their upcoming concert plans.

Billboard: Thank you for taking the time to join us in the middle of your world tour. How’s it going in between your Japan and U.S. concerts?

Yuna: It was our first time in Europe and Latin America so it was a really new experience for us. There are some really beautiful cities and we really enjoyed it. I really liked Amsterdam, the weather was really nice, the people were really nice and the views were amazing. So Great, everyone should go.

You had a 13-day break between your Madrid performance on May 4th and your Tokyo performance on May 17th. What did you do during that time?

Yuna: we wonderful busy! [Laughs]

Dragon God: I have a lot of work to do, including preparing for a big show and my return to Japan. [with “Algorithm”]Do you think we are always practicing or doing something to achieve something?

I’ve heard artists share a variety of feelings about touring, from it being too exhausting to saying their fans fuel them. What’s your experience been like?

ChaeryeongLet’s be honest, it’s true that it takes a lot of energy, both physically and mentally. [on tour]But I think when we go on stage, all that just disappears. We get so much energy from the fans. So, for me, it’s a great experience.

Yuna: When I visit a new city for a concert, I try to do my best on stage for my fans. But I also spend as much time as possible with my members. That’s my healing point and how I heal while on tour. Their presence really helps me. When I stand on stage and see my members’ faces, that’s all the support I need.

Do you do anything special to stay physically, mentally and emotionally healthy while traveling?

Yeji: I had a doctor who was with me on the tour and she recommended taking a vitamin powder that would give me energy. She said it worked really well if I held it in my throat and swallowed it all at once. I’ve found that it’s really helped me stay healthy, so I’ve continued to follow that advice.

Chaeryeong: I carry propolis with me to improve my voice. Propolis is a gel-type medicine that you put on your throat. It has a minty scent and calms you down. It’s famous in New Zealand, isn’t it? It’s good for your throat.

Yeji: I’m also trying to change the way I vocalize and produce sounds on stage – I’m trying to use less force so it doesn’t strain my throat. [save my voice for the next concert date].

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we think it’s the perfect time to share how you support your own mental and emotional wellbeing. What are some things you personally do to take care of yourself?

ChaeryeongIn my case, I write in a diary. I write about things I like and very specific happy memories, and I remember every detail for a long time. But sometimes when I’m sad or in pain, I write about negative memories to erase those feelings from my mind.

Yuna: I always try to make time to focus on myself – writing and meditating – I really focus on myself and it helps me stay centered, but it’s so hard. When I meditate I always fall asleep. [Laughs] It’s also a great way to fall asleep!

Dragon God: I don’t do anything special for my mental health, but I do make free time for myself. As you know, touring and performing requires a lot of energy, and I also have a job where I have to meet a lot of people. So when I have free time, I use it to recover my energy and do what I love, whether it’s watching a movie at the cinema or rewatching a series or a drama. So There are so many great movies and TV shows out there, but if I had to recommend one, it would be of France PressIt’s a Wes Anderson film. It’s really moving, but at the same time, it’s very eclectic.

Yeji: Lately, I’ve been trying to be honest with myself and what I’m feeling. If something makes me sad, I just let it all out and then just “forget it.” I try to be fully responsive to my feelings and laugh at the little things.

Yeji, it’s interesting to hear that you’re being honest with your emotions now. As the leader of ITZY, were there times when you ignored your own feelings when leading the team?

Yeji: Since my debut, there have been times when I tried to hide [my feelings] Because the team is very important. But these days, even if I try to hide everything, the members know me very well, we are a family. So even if I try to hide, they know my feelings and thoughts first. So, there is no need to actually hide. So, I am trying to express my feelings more honestly.

Thank you for sharing, ITZY. She’s not here right now because she’s also focusing on her mental health. How do you stay in touch with Lea?

Yeji: Just the other day, the five of us watched an old video and I texted it to Leah, so we’ve been talking and chatting and we all keep in contact with her often.

On a broader scale, being an artist, especially in K-Pop but anywhere in the world, requires a strong mind. You were all teenagers when you debuted, but now you’re adults. How do you think you’ve grown since then?

Dragon God: We were all in our teens and it was our first experience to form a team that was together 24 hours a day. At first, it was a little hard to be around and work with people who were different from you when we were all together. ITZY was only five people, but it was still really hard to understand each other. It took us a while to understand each other. But after struggling and talking a lot with the members, I think the biggest difference between then and now is our ability to understand others. Now, the range of people I feel I can understand is much wider.

Yuna, as the youngest member who debuted at 15, what have you learned?

Yuna: It’s been a while since we debuted, so I think we’ve been able to learn to get used to situations and people, and what is needed in the atmosphere of our lives. [as K-pop stars]So I’ve come to understand these realities in a much deeper way, but the biggest thing that I’m trying to maintain is my passion, the passion and the emotion that I got in the beginning. [performance]My biggest goal is to keep it that way.

Thank you for discussing an important topic. Born To Be Tour They start in June. Did you prepare anything special or differently for these shows?

Yuna: English! We are preparing for all audience members to speak in English to increase communication.

Yeji: Not only have the venues become larger and the concerts become bigger, but we have also put a lot of effort and care into the production of the concerts. As a result, we can see a new direction not only on the stage but also in the VCR. We brought back many of the dancers who were with us on past tours, and I think the diversity of the performance has also been upgraded a bit from the last world tour. Checkmate.

Chaeryeong: We have a live band, so that’s a big part of this tour.

this is Born to Be World Tour Based on the album of the same name, you will be writing and composing ITZY’s first solo songs and performing them at the concert. How was the experience? Do you have plans to perform your compositions in the future?

Yeji: After producing a solo song [“Crown on My Head”]I realized that this is a very difficult process and never easy. So I had to thank the staff, composers, writers, and people around me who always write and create songs for us. So, realizing how difficult this process is makes this song even more important to me, and that’s why I can perform it on stage with passion. As for future songs, I will always try if I have a chance. Yes, if I have a chance.

Is there anything else you’d like to say to your fans ahead of your US tour?

Dragon God: First of all, I will be coming to you in June, so please come to the concert. I am always grateful for your support from hundreds of miles away. I will try my best to see you all more often. Thank you.

Yuna: Also, because this is our second world, we need more… more… many There’s still so much to see, so please come to the concert!