As their latest project GUESS WHO drops, the K-pop stars take us down some of their favourite internet rabbit holes
Dazed Faves is the series where we talk all things online – that surreal meme account you’re obsessed with, weird conspiracy theory subreddits, ASMR YouTubes, or slime Instagrams.
Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna – aka ITZY – are a group who know how to be online. Dominating TikTok, Instagram, and more, the K-pop icons have come up during the era of short, snackable content, and have shaped their online presence to fit this ever-changing mold. Social media is essential to them: “It’s a window to communicate with our fans,” says Lia. Find their TikTok page and you’ll find movie poster-style teasers for their next record, knowing exactly how to keep their fans on edge.
The South Korean band appeared on the cover of Dazed Korea in 2019, and have been steadily taking over the world ever since. They recently joined the likes of Gigi Hadid and Storm Reid as the global spokesmodels of Maybelline, the first-ever musical act to front the brand. “We are looking forward to all the fun collabs!” Yuna says.
Last year, the group released It’z Me, their second full-length album, and their next project, GUESS WHO, lands today. “Compared to the last album, it’s more hip hop-like and way darker,” Yeji reveals. “Also, the performance style has changed a lot so the whole album’s been a big challenge for us.”
Ryujin continues: “Because the title song, ‘In The Morning’ is mainly a rap song, it’s been a challenge to make sure it’s well delivered. Working on this album has improved our vocal capacity, and also it made us show the deeper side of us, so I think it’s an album that has changed us a lot.” In anticipation of the record, we asked the five-piece to tell us about the accounts, shows, and TikTok crazes that are taking up their attention.
FAVOURITE ONLINE MAKEUP ARTIST: JELLA
Yuna: I’ve been watching Jella a lot! I like her because she has a nice voice, and she is very informative. I’m also interested in skincare a lot! I try cleansing my face as softly as I can, and I skip wiping my face with a towel before doing my skincare routine. I also apply lash serum every day!
Yeji: These days, I’ve been interested in skincare. I used to just apply some cream on my face, but now I apply toner, eye cream, and moisturiser, and I make sure to apply lip balm before I go to bed.
FAVOURITE TIKTOK CHALLENGE: #NOTSHY
Chaeryeong: I’ve watched so many “Not Shy” TikTok challenges! There were fun edits and cool covers, and all of them were so cool!
Yuna: I’ve discovered TikTok dance moves and challenges from the song “Savage Love!” I’m impressed with the catchy songs and the creators’ acting and different props.
FAVOURITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM: BUBBLE
Yuna: I’ve been loving Bubble, which is a texting platform that we use to chat with our fans and also each other. It’s nice to connect with our fans so easily!
Lia: I’ve been using ITZY’s Instagram a lot to interact with the fans. I like reading their comments on the posts, it’s so fun to keep up with them that way.
Ryujin: The amount of times that we can meet up with our fans in real life has definitely decreased, so using social media has been much more important to me to communicate with them.
Chaeryeong: We can’t meet up with fans anymore, so I’ve been putting effort into communicating with the fans more through social media. Sharing about my daily life and uploading photos of myself seems to make our fans happy, and I’m happy to make them happy!
FAVOURITE TV SHOW TO BINGE: DESCENDANTS OF THE SUN
(It’s) my favourite K-drama! I love it so much. It never gets old even though I’ve watched the series multiple times.
Yeji: I like to laugh at funny videos online, so when things get to be too much, I watch funny videos and relax.
Ryujin: I think I’d have a hard time without movies or dramas. I watch dramas and movies whenever I have time, and that’s where I get my happiness.
ITZY’s GUESS WHO is out now