‘Comeback’ Izuna “Concept Flower Group, I Want to Be No. 1 with Exciting ‘SIGN’” [Rookie Interview: How Do You Like This?]
◆ Izna‘s Self-Introduction
1. Group Name: izna(이즈나)
- A group name that contains the bold confidence and conviction that anytime, anywhere, and anything will soon be defined as me
2. Agency: Wake One
3. Debut Date: November 25, 2024
- A 7-member multinational group formed through Mnet’s idol audition program ‘I-LAND2: N/a’
- Member Yoon Ji-yoon is temporarily halting activities due to health issues, so the interview was conducted with all 6 members.
Q. What was the criteria for dividing your dorm roommates into Mai-Bang Ji-min, Yoon Ji-yoon-Coco, and Yoo Sa-rang-Choi Jung-eun-Jung Se-bi?
- Yoo Sa-rang: We divided them in order of age. I share a room with Choi Jung-eun and Jung Se-bi, and we are the youngest line. Since we are students, we also had to worry about our commute times, so we chose our roommates in order of age.
Q. Which member has been a trainee the longest and the shortest, and how do you feel about promoting with them?
- Bang Ji-min: I started being a trainee in my first year of middle school and was there for 5~6 years. I was a trainee for 3 months at my current agency, Wake One, and I debuted. There were times when I thought I would debut but couldn‘t, and I always thought, ‘When will I be able to debut?’. I was happy that I had a great opportunity called Mnet’s ‘I-LAND2: N/a’, and I participated with the desire to pull out my weapon and show it properly.
- Mai: I started being a trainee after graduating from high school. About a year. I feel like I have a lot of shortcomings because my training period was short. I tried to practice more while preparing for my debut and this comeback. I prepared the album while monitoring a lot of videos.
- Mai: It’s not difficult, but rather, I‘m learning various ways to express emotions from my F friends. I receive a lot of help from my F friends when I’m making music and when I‘m having regular conversations.
- Bang Ji-min: Mai, who has T tends to organize things neatly. The F members are a group with a lot of sensitivity overall, but thanks to Mai, the team synergy is greater.
Q. Do you have any difficulties communicating with the Japanese members (Mai, Coco)?
- Mai: There aren’t any major problems communicating. We mainly speak Korean, and when I talk to Coco, I mix Japanese and Korean.
- Coco: I‘m still not good at Korean. I ask Mai a lot, and the Korean members help me out, so I’m grateful.
- Bang Ji-min: The Korean members also take Japanese lessons. Since we teach each other languages, our foreign language skills are improving quickly.
6. Point of introduction: Concept flower pot
- Bang Ji-min: Since Izuna is a team that debuted through a survival program, each member has a distinct charm. From the process they each prepared to become a singer, to their tastes, and the direction they pursue. These distinct personalities come together to create Izuna‘s own color.
- Mai: The new album [SIGN] has a different charm from the debut album [N/a]. The fact that she can digest any concept like this is Izuna’s unique point of entry.
Q. (Coco) is a unique variety show person.
- Yu Sa-rang: Coco has a very bright and gentle personality. Her way of speaking and her awkwardness with Korean are also cute. She‘s often quirky, so she’s the mood maker for our team.
- Coco: That‘s right.
Q. (Jung Se-bi) is the most narcissistic.
- Jung Se-bi: I tend to believe that “what you think about will work out,” so I always try to think that I will do well and do well. I think that having an attitude of loving yourself is important.
- Choi Jeong-eun: Jung Se-bi has a positive personality. She conveys that positive energy to the members well. I chose her as the member with the strongest narcissism because she knows how to express herself well.
Q. (Mai) is the member who is the most different from her first impression.
- Jung Se-bi: When I first saw Mai, I thought she would be cool and arrogant like a cat. But now, she’s a reliable and fun eldest member. In my opinion, she‘s the most fun and funny member of the team.
- Coco: That’s right. When I first saw Mai, I was scared because she looked chic. But the more I got to know her, the cuter, brighter, and more positive she is.
- Jung Se-bi: That’s right. I do aegyo naturally when I tell myself to. These days, I‘m training my sisters to be aegyo. I think my best student will be Choi Jeong-eun. She really likes being cute and she’s becoming cuter by the day.
- Choi Jeong-eun: Jung Se-bi is the youngest in the team, so she has a lot of energy and makes her sisters happy.
Q. (Jung Se-bi) is a really popular girl.
- Members: Se-bi is the only member who has the most school friends.
- Jung Se-bi: I picked Choi Jeong-eun. She has a lot of KakaoTalk friends. It seems like she‘s the type to keep in touch with people for a long time.
- [SIGN] is a love song that sings of the courage and confidence to convey love with a clear signal. Instead of waiting for love, Izuna will induce excitement with her confident charm of sending signals herself and expressing her emotions, as well as the combination of sensual lyrics and addictive melody.
Q. What was your first impression when you heard [SIGN]?
- Yoo Sarang: The debut song ‘IZNA’ was confident and cool, but this [SIGN] is a bit softer. It has a completely different charm, so I wanted to show it to you quickly as soon as I heard it. I think fans will like it because it’s a song full of excitement.
- Bang Ji-min: Although it‘s a love song, it’s also a song that talks about growth and not giving up.
Q. There are many different forms of love. Is there a love that the members dream of?
- Jung Se-bi: I‘m looking forward to my love with my sisters. I’m looking forward to how much more we‘ll love and promote.
- Yoo Sa-rang: The stage I love! Just as the objects of love are diverse, ‘SIGN’ is a song that can create a wide range of empathy depending on the listener.
- Yoo Sa-rang: It was an honor to work with you again. Thanks to you, Izuna’s color became more distinct.
- Choi Jeong-eun: I haven‘t experienced many overwhelming emotions yet, so at first, ‘SIGN’ felt difficult. However, I was grateful that the producers helped us immerse ourselves in the song, such as by acting it out ourselves.
Q. When recording ‘SIGN’, was there anything you were confident in, or found difficult?
- Coco: I had a hard time with my Korean pronunciation for my debut song. Thanks to practicing a lot, my pronunciation improved and I gained confidence when recording ‘SIGN’. Although I still have a long way to go, I decided to work harder.
- Choi Jeong-eun: My strong point, powerful vocals, are well-captured in ‘SIGN’. I’m looking forward to showing off my confidence this time too.
- Jung Se-bi: ‘SIGN’ is a song that requires expressiveness, so I analyzed the lyrics and immersed myself in singing them.
- Yoo Sa-rang: That‘s right. It’s a song that focuses on expressing emotions. I had to think about the emotion of love, and I tried to maintain it until the end. I also recorded it while thinking of the movie ‘Titanic’. Maybe it‘s because it’s the romance movie of my life, but I was able to immerse myself more while recording. It‘s also a song that showcases the members’ vocal tones well. You will be able to enjoy ad-libs and a variety of vocal ranges.
- Bang Ji-min: I want to introduce Izuna and Izuna‘s songs to more people. My goal is to diversify my activities in various fields and even receive a rookie award.
- Jung Se-bi: I want to win first place on a music show. I would be especially happy if I received an award on SBS M ‘The Show’, which I host.
Jeon Hyo-jin, Donga.com reporter jhj@donga.com
This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.
