Rosa Gulliver of TINYGMUSIC | March 10, 2025
YEJI, from the K-pop sensation ITZY, has launched her first solo mini-album titled AIR today through JYP Entertainment/Imperial/Republic Records.
As the leader of ITZY, YEJI is the first member of the renowned group to launch a solo project, marking a significant and thrilling milestone for fans worldwide. This 4-track album delves into YEJI's profound passion for both dance and singing, with the concept of AIR symbolising something as essential and natural as the air we breathe. Following the fire and energy she initially showcased in “Crown On My Head” from ITZY's BORN TO BE, AIR provides a look into the various aspects of YEJI’s personality, extending beyond her role in ITZY.
The title track of the EP, “Air,” boasts a captivating bassline that compels you to dance, with lyrics written by J.Y. Park, the founder of JYP Entertainment and a K-pop legend. The song is complemented by an engaging music video.
The second track, “Invasion,” features a soaring chorus that gives listeners the sensation of flying. Next is the energetic, impactful track “Can’t Slow Me, No.” The concluding song, “258,” is a dynamic and explosive piece that completes this ethereal EP perfectly.
AIR arrives on the heels of ITZY’s recent mini-album, GOLD, which reunited all five members and featured two focus tracks, “GOLD” and “Imaginary Friend.” The album also includes “VAY,” co-written by and featuring Changbin from Stray Kids, along with re-recorded versions of fan favourites such as “BORN TO BE,” “UNTOUCHABLE,” “Mr. Vampire,” “Dynamite,” and “Escalator,” all with fresh vocal contributions from all five members. GOLD was released shortly after ITZY’s monumental “2ND WORLD TOUR BORN TO BE,” which visited arenas across 18 countries, including Australia, Mexico, England, Japan, and Canada. Known for their mastery of the stage, ITZY captivated fans worldwide with a blend of iconic hits and B-sides, solidifying their place as one of K-pop’s leading acts heading into 2025.
About ITZY
Formed under K-pop powerhouse JYP Entertainment in 2019, ITZY exploded on to the K-Pop scene with their debut single “DALLA DALLA.” The track ranked No. 3 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart and pulled in 17.1 million "day-of" music video views on YouTube. At the time, the song both broke the record for the most viewed K-pop debut music video in history and held the record for the fastest K-Pop debut music video to reach 100 million views. Billboard Magazine ranked “DALLA DALLA” at No. 20 on the “25 Best K-pop Songs of 2019: Critics’ Pick” and the group took home the Best New Artist Award at the 2020 Korean Music Awards. The group’s follow-up single, “WANNABE,” charted at No. 4 on the Song Sales chart and was one of the top 10 K-pop song to trend globally on Spotify, while also ranking on the Emerging Artists chart where it hit No. 31. ITZY’s third album, Not Shy, peaked on the Billboard Social 50 chart at No. 11 and World Album chart at No. 8, plus, their past albums, IT’z ICY and IT’z ME both entered the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart.
ITZY kicked off 2021 with their first national U.S. broadcast appearance on MTV’s Fresh Out Live, racking in the largest performance views MTV had received for the platform. Then, in May, the group made their debut on the Billboard 200 album chart with their six-track EP GUESS WHO, which they followed up with their full-length studio debut, CRAZY IN LOVE. The album took the No. 1 spot across multiple Billboard charts, including Top Album Sales, Top Current Album Sales, and World Albums charts, and made a strong debut on Billboard’s Top 200-album chart where it reached No. 11, making ITZY only the third female K-pop group to score within the chart’s top 15. The album’s lead single, “LOCO,” which they performed on The Kelly Clarkson Show, reached No. 4 Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales. The track’s official music video also made a big splash, crossing one million views within 26 minutes of its release on YouTube, and it was nominated for a 2022 MTV VMA for “Best K-Pop.”
In summer 2022, ITZY released mini-album, CHECKMATE. The EP took the No. 8 spot on the Billboard 200 chart, marking the group’s first top-10 ranking on the chart. Further, the group became the 4th K-pop girl group to achieve a top 10 ranking on the Billboard 200. The group performed the EP’s lead single, “SNEAKERS,” on both MTV’s Fresh Out Live and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show Me Music.” ITZY closed out the year with their sixth EP CHESHIRE and their first world tour – the CHECKMATE tour – in which the group played eight sold-out venues across the US, including Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater and New York’s Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. In July of 2023, ITZY released EP KILL MY DOUBT, which features singles “Bet On Me,” “None of My Business,” and fan favourite, “CAKE.” ITZY followed that EP with BORN TO BE, which launched the group’s second “2ND WORLD TOUR BORN TO BE.” ITZY followed up with their EP GOLD which reunited all five ITZY members and featured focus tracks “GOLD” and “Imaginary Friend.”
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