ITZY is in the midst of their massive Born to Be World Tour, and the group stopped by Billboard‘s studios to discuss the run with host Tetris Kelly.
“The energy and the vibe was so great,” Ryujin shared. “For me, the last tour was learning and this tour was using it, so we really enjoyed it.”
The spring/summer outing, which kicked off in February, found the quartet hitting 18 countries across Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Europe and North America.
The dates featured the debut live performances of songs from the group’s recent 10-track Born To Be mini album, which is their first release to feature solo songs from each member of the group. The eighth EP from the group comprised of Yeji, Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna — fifth member rapper Lia is currently on hiatus from the group dealing with health issues — includes the title track, as well as “Untouchable,” “Mr. Vampire” and “Dynamite.”
“Lia underwent consultation and examination as she is experiencing extreme tension and anxiety about carrying out her scheduled activities and received medical advice that she needs rest and treatment,” the group’s label, JYP Entertainment shared in a September announcement. “With the artist’s health as our top priority, after careful discussion with the members, we decided that Lia will not participate in scheduled activities starting from today and will take a break for the time being to focus on her treatment.”
Lia followed up the statement with a letter of her own, telling fans, “I felt like I needed to take some time off to love and fill myself first. As I always say, I sincerely hope that MIDZY will be happy. I will work to return in good health.”
Born to Be marks the group’s first Korean-language LP since 2021’s Crazy in Love, which reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200.
Watch Billboard‘s full interview with ITZY above.