Ryujin On Feeling Proud Of Her ITZY Members, What Dance Means To Her, And More

Vogue Korea has unveiled gorgeous shots from ITZY’s Ryujin’s first solo pictorial!

Ryujin shyly explained, “I wouldn’t be nervous if I was with my members, but I am nervous because I’m alone. I’ll just have to bring up my energy more.”

Since last August, ITZY has been going around the globe for their “CHECKMATE” world tour. Their set list features Ryujin’s funky and charismatic cover of Doja Cat’s “Boss Bitch” as the first solo stage, of which she commented, “I thought deeply about what song to do because it’s the first solo performance and I wanted to showcase a different charm from my members. I figured that a song where I could clearly show both rap and dance would be best.”

Before her debut with ITZY, Ryujin became known for her incredible dancing talent while competing on JTBC’s audition program “MIXNINE.” Ryujin recalled, “When I was a trainee, I honestly thought that I was the best. I was confident that I was good at dancing and sure that I looked cool when dancing. Given that, dancing always made me happy.”

When asked about what dance means to her now, Ryujin answered with a laugh, “It’s closer to work.” She elaborated, “Although it’s something I want to be good at, it’s more important that I do well. I liked doing hip hop and boy group dances so my style has changed a lot while focusing on girl group choreography and synchronization. When the five of us are on stage together, I suppress my individuality that pops out and pour my focus into achieving unity.”

Given how central dancing is to her life and career, the interviewer asked whether Ryujin has ever gotten bored of dancing. She replied, “That’s when I go to learn dance. If approach dance like work, I become sensitive to each and every move but when I learn new choreography, my thirst is somewhat quenched. In particular, our leader Yeji is an incredibly amazing partner. These days, I’m interested in dances that emphasize key points, such as tutting where you have to utilize your fingers well.”

Ryujin also explained that in addition to dance, she’s gradually learned to freely use her own voice and in turn become more involved in the production of ITZY’s music. She elaborated on how this is a reflection of the message ITZY has endorsed through their music since their debut, saying, “I’ve gotten a ton of inspiration while singing about being yourself and being confident in your emotions and preferences. I’m still confused about what kind of person I am and what I like, but I at least immerse myself in finding that.”

On how she tries to strengthen ITZY’s teamwork, Ryujin explained, “My members probably know this. That although I am not good at expressing myself, I try really hard to say a lot of words of praise and support. That’s how I gradually realized the power of words. I’ve learned how important words like ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘thank you’ are, and that while willingly admitting a mistake is difficult, it’s a valuable attitude.” This extends to her fans, with Ryujin sharing, “I’m not the type to be very interested in others but I often ask fans if they’ve eaten. I hope that they always eat well and then come to see us.”

Ahead of their world tour, Ryujin expressed her desire for the stage to appear full even when only one member is performing. As they near the end of the tour, Ryujin shared her confidence regarding this, commenting, “I change clothes quickly so I watch my members’ individual performances quite closely. I feel so proud of my members who make me think, ‘you can do a performance in this way too’ and ‘they completely fill up the stage on their own.'”

Ryujin added, “Although it’s in the far future, if we ever come out as solo artists, I think we’ll all show incredible performances. I too will stand on stage once I meticulously prepare after intensely contemplating something in between my powerful and charismatic image and a shocking transformation, right?”

After recent concerts in Hong Kong, ITZY’s world tour will take them to Bangkok in April. Ryujin’s full spread will be available in Vogue Korea’s April issue!

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