Itzy comes back with "Born To Be"

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Trends are such a funny thing in KPop. It's so self-evident that rigid concepts sweep through the industry as producers keep finding the next new thing that resonates with consumers, but fans and idols alike will passionately deny it, claiming that THEIR group is unique and that it's all about the music.

OK. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But doesn't the vibe of this video conflict with their recent themes? Itzy started very strong with Dalla and Loco and Swipe. Very quirky with strong individuality among the members and the aesthetics of what Koreans call "HiTeen"...for Americans, think Lisa Frank meets High School Musical with some anime thrown in for flavor.

But now? We are back into "Weapon" territory with darker themes, lava, and that urban Tomb Raider look that BlackPink started with "Kill This Love". Dreamcatcher's "OOTD' and even Viviz's "Untie" have that non-gritty dark thing happening.

But people, there is nothing wrong with this. If groups and companies didn't riff off of each others' ideas, there would be no such thing as a "trend". This is a great direction for Itzy as they age out of cute/quirky. JYP is extremely observant and experimental. I think, with Itzy, he's trying to "age" the group along with their audience. This is something some groups have done organically, but often, because of the 7 year expiration of most contracts, companies are not really thinking "lifetime value" for their properties, but I guess we'll see. "Sneakers" started a set of comebacks that had me thinking that, as an adult man, I may no longer be able to enjoy Itzy. But this is much more mature. I've always had a soft spot for this group, and I hope Lia is OK.

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