Korean Pop Girl Group ITZY Drops Music Video for Latest Empowering Single “In the morning”
To the Western music world, K-Pop groups have been breaking through the noise of English singing artists with their intense choreography, energetic music, and impressive visuals. We have already been exposed to the talents of BTS, BlackPink and other groups, however the girl group ITZY cannot go unrecognized either.
Started by one of Korea’s top entertainment companies -JYP Entertainment, home to well known groups Twice and Stray Kids- ITZY debuted on February 12th, 2019 with their single “DALLA DALLA” which translates to “different” in English. The group consists of five members ranging from twenty-one to seventeen years old: Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna. Similar to other K-pop groups, the member’s talents range in singing, rapping, and dancing.
On April 30th, 2021 the group made their worldwide comeback and announced the beginning of promotions for their newest project: a six track album titled GUESS WHO, beginning with the release of the title track “In the morning” and the accompanying music video. In alignment with their brand as a girl group, the album resonates with millennials and members of Generation Z by preaching self-confidence, self-empowerment, and individuality.
“In the morning” is a high energy dance track that draws references to a “mafia” that steals the subject's heart with their confidence and uniqueness. As ITZY sings in the verses and pre chorus (translated to English) “I steal your heart / you are gonna love me / I’m the type who shows the teeth when it’s time / even when we make eye contact it doesn’t shake me” they show that they are fierce, self-empowered, and irresistible.
The music video also portrays the same persona for the group, as they are shown donning stylish clothes that transition into black, sparkling and leather uniforms to emphasize the “mafia” image that is presented in the chorus. The video also consists of sudden transitions between shots, such as switching angles or featured members throughout the dance portions, or using swift movements to quickly change between scenes. The video also incorporates special effects and CGI to increase the energy of the visuals. In one particular scene, fire is used as a special effect to transition between the second verse and the pre chorus to align with how the song is ramping up. Special effects are also used to make the members of the group seem to appear and disappear from the shot. The video then ends with alternating shots between ITZY dancing to the song surrounded by backup dancers in black uniforms and the band standing alone in contrasting white outfits.
Overall, ITZY is a continuously growing K-Pop girl group that fans of the genre do not want to miss. Their music and visuals prove to be entertaining with its high energy and positive message of self confidence and empowerment. If you have yet to hear the song or watch the music video for “In the morning” we highly recommend you check it out here!
