BORN TO BE [Version B] [Barnes & Noble Exclusive]

by Itzy

Overview

Building on the confidence-driven ethos of 2023's Kill My Doubt, ITZY return in full force with 2024's bold and edgy Born to Be -- the group's second Korean-language studio album and third full-length overall. Conceptualized around the group adopting warrior-like personae, the ten-track set sees them rally on a core thread of resilience and limitlessness: the pre-release track ¿Born to Be¿ opens events with a fiery celebration of being young, wild, and free, which quickly doubles down using pounding EDM basses and a defiant chorus in the second track ¿Untouchable¿ (¿I'm untouchable, ¿¿¿ ¿¿ form¿). Capping off the project's opening run of pre-release tracks, ¿Mr. Vampire¿ proves the project's standout moment, a vampiric romance concept empowered by catchy, Red Velvet-esque sonics, breezy yet stunning vocals from Chaeryeong, and a rare, tender vocal performance from Ryujin. Chaeryeong and Ryujin play perfect foils to one another here; the smooth chorus sees the former coolly dismissing past lovers with a ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿,¿ while the latter's harmonies yearn for the bite of new romance. For the first time in their career, ITZY uses their B-sides to showcase solo tracks from each of their members. Yeji and Ryujin keep the album's concept going on the confident ¿Crown on My Head¿ and ¿Run Away,¿ both anchored to anthemic guitar lines and stabbing basses, and Yuna's ¿Yet, But¿ sees her reconfigure a more traditional bubblegum pop sound for an uplifting call to dazzle in the face of difficulty. Chaeryeong and Lia's solo works (¿Mine¿ and ¿Blossom¿) act as more of a counterbalance, leading into melodic R&B and pop-led directions -- the latter, recorded prior to Lia's hiatus from promotions, proves a beautiful, bittersweet reflection on the pressures of authenticity, and is a clear standout. The project's remaining B-sides deftly shore up the album's core concept: ¿Dynamite¿ stands by its title, delivering an explosive call to the dancefloor while ¿Escalator¿ weaves headstrong trap verses together (capped off with brilliant ¿Byee!¿ ad libs) before crescendo'ing into a wonky, bass-laden breakdown. Despite dedicating over half of its runtime to solo work, Born to Be proves ITZY's most cohesive work to date -- this is a steadfast, defiant set of anthems that continues to see the group thrive. ~ David Crone

Product Details

Release Date:	02/09/2024
Label:	Imperial / Jyp Entertainment / Republic
UPC:	0196922726064
Rank:	3035

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Itzy   Primary Artist
Ryujin   Primary Artist
Chaeryeong   Primary Artist
Yeji   Primary Artist
Lia   Primary Artist
Yuna   Primary Artist
Choi Jeong Soo   Bass
ADORA   Vocals (Background)
Friday   Vocal Director,Vocals (Background)
Woobin   Bass,Drums,Keyboards
Pablo   Bass,Drums,Keyboards
Chang   Bass,Drums,Keyboards
Voll   Synthesizer,Vocal Director
Kobee   Drums,Vocal Director
Holy M   Bass,Vocal Director
Perrie   Vocals (Background)
C'SA   Vocals (Background)
Mrch   Vocal Director,Vocals (Background)
Ezit   Synthesizer,Vocal Director
Isntoff   Guitar
Jeongmin Choi   Guitar
Noday   Vocal Director
Min Lee 'Collapsedone'   Piano,Synthesizer,Vocal Director
Sim Eunjee   Bass,Synthesizer,Vocal Director

Technical Credits

Chaeryeong   Composer,Lyricist
Tony Maserati   Mixing
Ezit   Arranger,Composer
Gharah Degeddingseze   Arranger,Composer,Musician
Maria Marcus   Composer
Athena   Composer
Bongwon Shin   Mixing
Tricia Battani   Arranger,Composer
Justin Reinstein   Composer
Sim Eun Jee   Composer
Eom Sehee   Engineer,Digital Editing
Yue   Digital Editing
Gusten Dahlqvist   Arranger,Composer,Musician,Producer
Galactika   Arranger,Composer
Friday   Composer,Lyricist
Stay Tuned   Mixing
Hye Hyun Bang   Composer,Lyricist
Wonkwon Yoon   Mixing
Jvde   Composer,Lyricist
Gab-Soo Kim   Mixing
Pablo   Composer,Composer
David K. Younghyun   Mixing
Sim Eunjee   Digital Editing,Arranger,Composer,Lyricist,Programming
Yuna   Composer,Lyricist,Composer
Lia   Composer,Lyricist
Woobin   Composer
Sofia Quinn   Composer
Ryujin   Composer,Lyricist
Lee Thor   Composer,Lyricist
Park Namjun   Mixing,Digital Editing
Selah   Composer,Lyricist
Machi   Composer
Voll   Arranger,Composer
Melange   Arranger,Arranger
Jeong Eun Kyung   Digital Editing
Star Wars   Composer
Arineh Karimi   Composer
Jiyun Seo   Composer
Kobee   Mixing,Composer,Digital Editing
Holy M   Composer
Yeo Min Soo   Digital Editing
Yeji   Composer,Lyricist
Lee Seuran   Composer,Lyricist
Tobias Naeslund   Arranger,Composer,Musician,Producer
Goo Hyejin   Engineer,Recording,Digital Editing
Mrch   Composer
Gu JongPil   Mixing
Seo Eunil   Engineer
Zarah Christenson   Composer
Saint   Composer,Lyricist
Seo Jieum   Composer,Lyricist
Noday   Composer,Lyricist
Lee Seu Ran   Composer
Noemie Legrand   Composer
Shim Eun Ji   Arranger
Chang Galactika*   Composer
Min Lee 'Collapsedone'   Arranger,Composer,Programming
Anna Timgren   Composer
Lee Tae-sub   Mixing
Kwon Nam-Woo   Mastering Engineer