Should ITZY Leave JYP Entertainment? Here’s What Rain Thinks
While MIDZYs aren’t always happy with how JYP Entertainment manages and promotes ITZY, should they really leave the company in the future? Former JYP Entertainment idol and veteran star Rain weighed in with his own thoughts when ITZY visited his YouTube channel, Season B Season.
Ever the supportive senior, Rain wanted to know if the ITZY members were having any concerns around the release of their new song, “LOCO.” For Ryujin in particular, one thought came to mind: “I feel like it’s about time we find a new color of our own.”
Thankfully, Rain had some poignant advice in relation to Ryujin’s deep question. “If you show the progress of changing little by little, I think that’s good,” he explained. Conversely, he advised the members that if they change their concept a little too suddenly, it may be too jarring for the public.
But if you come out suddenly like ‘ITZY can do concepts like this, too,’ if it goes wrong, people might think, huh?
— Rain
To illustrate his point, Rain referred back to two of his own comebacks: “LA Song” and “GANG”—but Chaeryeong had her own comparisons in mind.
Despite being less than a year old when Rain’s hit debut “Bad Guy” was released, Chaeryeong revealed herself to be a big fan of the track. On top of that, the juxtaposition between “Bad Guy” and Rain’s 2010 release “Hip Song” gave Chaeryeong some thoughts about ITZY’s own career path. “I wondered how you could be so innocent and sexy at that age,” Chaeryeong said of “Bad Guy,” but added that “Hip Song” gave her a completely different impression: “You [also] have a very manly side.”
The main dancer went on to explain that just like the songs represented a change for Rain, she thinks ITZY “could maybe make some changes within ourselves.” Unsurprisingly, it’s a concern Rain came across in his own career—and it went on to change his trajectory completely.
In order to make changes, [I decided] I should get out of JYP Entertainment.
— Rain
Rain left JYP Entertainment in 2007, just five years after his debut. From that point on, he continued to become one of the biggest K-Pop soloists in Korea and across the world. However, even though it’s worked out for him, he doesn’t necessarily recommend the path for ITZY.
When a shocked Lia questioned, “We don’t have any other choice [but to leave JYP]?” Rain was quick to clarify his position. “No, no, don’t do this,” he insisted, “You guys should be in JYP.”
Rain went on to explain that after leaving JYP Entertainment, it’s not easy to find work with your own company or a smaller company. As such he told ITZY that he “strongly recommends” them to stay with the agency for the foreseeable future and enjoy the protections that come from a prominent label.
It’s definitely a concern to have at this phase, but enjoy it while you’re at it.
— Rain
While many MIDZYs do feel that ITZY could be better promoted than JYP Entertainment’s current management offers, Rain’s perspective certainly makes a lot of sense.
