ITZY celebrates ‘2000th day’ since debut with Filipino fans

South Korean girl group ITZY proved they’re born to devour the concert stage with their second world tour, “Born To Be,” which they brought to Manila last Aug. 3 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Members Yeji, Ryujin, Chaeryong, and Yuna, sans Lia, returned to the country for a one-night show presented by JYP Entertainment and Live Nation Philippines, which coincided with the celebration of the 2000th day since their debut.

Lia has been on hiatus since September of last year due to health concerns. She is set to rejoin her fellow members in the second half of the year for the group’s new album.

A day prior to their Manila concert, Yeji, Chaeryong, and Yuna hooked the excitement of fans, also known as MIDZY, during the press event at the Glorietta Activity Center.

The crowd’s lively cheers at the press event had the girls recalling the first time they visited Manila for their “Checkmate” tour and how the warm reception gets them every time they return to the country.

“I think it’s an honor to meet our Manila MIDZY again… I can still remember a lot of energy that you’re giving to us during our ‘Checkmate’ world tour,” said the group leader Yeji.

“Whenever we come here, the passionate love that we have for MIDZY and also MIDZY to us, I guess that’s one of the things that we can relate to,” Yuna said, expressing their love for their Filipino fans.

Looking back on their first-ever world tour, “Checkmate,” the group related having learned “a lot” from the previous tour and highlighted their improvements since then for an even better concert experience for their fans this time.

“One of the differences that we can tell you, guys, is we have the band arrangements where you guys can actually enjoy more from our concert of this kind,” Chaeryeong said through an interpreter.

Ryujin also added, “We always talk about confidence, self-love and energy, so I think ‘Born To Be’ is a little more developed from then and is showing more strong vibe with a strong performance.”

True enough, the quartet made an enthralling opening performance accompanied by a live band as they set the stage on fire with an electrifying medley of Born To Be, Racer, and Kidding Me.

The girls take a selfie with their Filipino fans, also known as MIDZY.

ITZY’s heart-thumping choreography, dance breaks, and vocals laid bare their charisma and stage presence, making the fans go “LOCO” in a cycle of ear-deafening screams and displays of adoration throughout the show.

Their more than 20-song setlist featured their hits and fan favorites such as Not Shy, Wannabe, and Cake, as well as their solo tracks Chaeryeong (Mine), Ryujin (Run Away), Yuna (Yet, but), Yeji (Crown On My Head), from their Born To Be album that put a spotlight on their individual charms.

In between explosive performances, the girls also elated Filipino fans with a surprise dance cover of P-pop girl group sensation BINI’s viral hit Pantropiko, on stage. They even joined the BINI phenomenon with the members, mostly Chaeryeong, randomly uttering Bini member Sheena’s viral “eyyy” expression that goes with a “Y” hand sign.

BINI Mikha, a MIDZY herself, raved over ITZY’s cover of their song, writing “BEHHHHHHHH GOOOOOO,” in an X post.

ITZY also delighted Pinoy MIDZY with their Tagalog phrases “Sobrang nag-enjoy ako,” “Sabay tayo kumanta,” encouraging fans to sing along with them, and not to mention introducing themselves in the Filipino language.

Nearing the end of the show which lasted for nearly three hours, the members got emotional after watching a fanmade video surprise from Filo MIDZY that featured their throwback clips of their trainee days until becoming idols.

The group’s maknae, Yuna, started off congratulating fellow members and their fanbase, to mark their 2,000 days in the industry, as she reflected on having less time to work on herself during those period.

“There were days when I could not sleep, I could not rest and I could not even eat,” related the ITZY member.

But despite those challenges, Yuna is delighted to have shared the past years with their fans. She said, “The brightest smile I actually had is when I’m actually in front of MIDZY,” drawing cheers from the crowd.

Chaeryeong, meanwhile, expressed her gratitude to their fans’ unwavering support, which has fueled them to always do better: “Thank you so much for always cheering for us and also staying by our side.”

She also noted how she was pleased to see each and everyone’s faces and have fun on stage, saying it was a night she will truly cherish.

“Tonight will be an unforgettable night for me. Our Manila MIDZY, they never disappoint us,” she added, stressing that their Filo fans’ “passion, love, and cheers, are always off the roof,” sweetly ending her message with the words, “Mahal kita,” and “Salamat po.”

Ryujin, meanwhile, recalled how even their parents, who came to the the country to watch their first Manila concert over a year ago, were amazed by the Filipino fans’ energy.

“Whenever we come to Manila, we always look forward to you, guys, because you’re so enthusiastic, so I really looked forward to today, and it was perfect. Thank you,” Ryujin said in English.

Yeji, on the other hand, remarked, “Manila MIDZY are the best. While performing on stage, we really had fun and felt happy tonight because of you.”

“MIDZY always tells ITZY, ‘Thank you for always being there for us,’ but I wanna say back the words to you, guys. We actually thank you very much for always waiting for us and being there for us,” Yeji further addressed their Filipino fans.

As announced in a YouTube livestream commemorating their fanbase’s fifth anniversary last July, ITZY will release an upcoming album by the second half of the year with Lia rejoining the group after a health-related hiatus.