ITZY is nominated for Best Female Performance (Group) for CAKE, while RINGO is nominated for Best International Song by a Korean Artist (Japanese). Support ITZY’s CAKE and RINGO, songs and performances by clicking here to vote today.

Joining the Monday lineup of comeback is ITZY, who makes their comeback today with their comeback with their 2nd studio length album, BORN TO BE. The headline song of the album is the single UNTOUCHABLE. And it appears that JYP Entertainment has gone all out of this comeback, with 2 pre-release tracks (BORN TO BE and Mr. Vampire – the latter I will be reviewing later in the future) and 4 music videos for each of the solo singles from the four member lineup of this comeback (Lia is currently on hiatus, but she also has a solo single on the album and a lyric video was released instead). This is ITZY’s first Korean comeback since CAKE and KILL MY DOUBT.

I love that UNTOUCHABLE is bold and sends a strong and powerful message. However, I don’t think it is the song to win people back. I say that because I am a little iffy on the chorus. While I do like their approach and it standalone makes for a very good centrepiece, I am a little disappointed over the fact the producers chose synths over a rock centric backing for the chorus. The verses were a great incline towards the chorus, and thanks to the guitars in the background, it makes you expect a chorus with a rock vibe to it. We do get some presence of guitar in the chorus, but it isn’t the forefront, which is what I was hoping for. That being said, the chorus we do get in UNTOUCHABLE still comes off as bold and makes for quite a statement piece. The vocals, rapping and overall delivery of the chorus (and other parts of the song) was on point, with the ad-libs at the end serving well. The part of UNTOUCHABLE that could use a revamp are the verses. They fall short from feeling memorable and comes off as more of a blur when you compare it to the choruses. The part of the UNTOUCHABLE that could have used a rethink is the post-chorus, which felt a little werid for me. I am not exactly sure if it fits into the bigger picture that is UNTOUCHABLE.

This music video made me go wow! We are only 8 days into the new year and there might already be a strong contender for Best Music Video of 2024. The crispness and high quality of the video definitely takes it to the next level. You can feel the intensity at the start with all the guards standing around the members, and via the lighting that mimics a prison or lasers directed at them. The members themselves look stunning and fierce throughout the video, depending on which part you are watching. The best part of the video has to the beginnings of the final chorus, with the guards exploding in slow motion and ITZY dancing at normal speed in the midst of that chaos. We also get sole really cool cinematography in the final moments of the video, as well.

I found the performance to be quite striking and bold, which is on par with the song itself. The movements were very sharp and it showcases ITZY’s knife-like precision. There are some graceful moves in the routine and I felt their presence helps balance everything out, so it isn’t too precise and edgy to watch.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10