[Music Y] ITZY's Yeji: A Perfectionist with Purpose... Captured Everything in Her First Solo

Yeji (24), the leader of ITZY, has made her debut as the first solo artist in the group. "I feel like a rookie again," Yeji expressed, fulfilling her dream of becoming a solo artist after seven years since her debut.

During the showcase for her first solo album 'AIR' held at a hotel in Songpa-gu, Seoul, starting at 2 PM on the 10th, Yeji appeared overwhelmed with emotion, pausing several times while answering questions. Known for her perfectionism, she seemed unable to shake off the tension and pressure surrounding her solo debut.

Yeji stated, "I prepared so that I wouldn’t be a burden to ITZY. If you ask why I’m only going solo now, I would say it’s because I wanted to focus more on the team for a while. When I received the offer to go solo, I realized that I was enjoying it while preparing."

Her first solo album features a total of four tracks, including the title song 'AIR', 'Invasion', 'Can't Slow Me, NO', and '258'. K-pop songwriters such as Danky, Lee Woo-min, Nodey, and Ryan Jeon contributed to the album. Producer Park Jin-young collaborated with Yeji on the title track, enhancing its authenticity and quality.

Yeji, who aims to showcase the powerful energy and performance she displayed during her time with ITZY in her solo activities, rated her album a perfect '100'. She explained that she has poured everything into this project, making the 'effort score' of 100 well-deserved.

Yeji remarked, "I always want to do well, which brings pressure, but that’s also my motivation for making music. I spent about 10 hours on each song, contemplating how to showcase my diverse vocal range, so the final product is precious to me. While there is pressure, I am more excited to share the results with everyone."

ITZY members and their labelmates from TWICE have also shown their support for Yeji's solo album. Producer Park Jin-young meticulously directed the title track and music video, pouring his affection into the project. It has been reported that Park Jin-young praised Yeji's 'AIR' music video as "the best music video in the last 10 years."

Yeji expressed, "While preparing for my solo album, I wanted to discover parts of myself that I didn’t know and show those sides without shame. I want to present my true self and make a lasting impression on the public about who Yeji is."

Yeji's first solo album will be released on the 10th at 6 PM.

Photo by Baik Seung-Chul

[SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn]

(SBS Star)