K-pop girl group ITZY have announced the return of member Lia and teased a new album that’s set to be released later this year.
Yesterday (July 8), Lia joined ITZY during a livestream celebrating the fifth anniversary of their fandom, MIDZY. It came about nine months after the singer first went on hiatus over “extreme levels of anxiety” back in September 2023.
Soon after the end of the livestream, the girl group’s label JYP Entertainment announced in a statement that Lia would be returning to the K-pop act in the coming months, saying that “her tension and symptoms of anxiety have significantly improved”, as translated by Soompi.
“After careful discussion with Lia, it has been decided that she will resume her activities,” the label added, saying that it will start with ITZY’s new album, which is set to be released in the second half of the year.
However, JYP Entertainment also noted that “previously arranged schedules and shoots before the new album release” will not feature Lia. “We kindly ask for your understanding. We sincerely thank the fans who have shown warm encouragement and support for Lia’s recovery,” it added.
리아 건강 상태 및 활동 재개 관련 안내 https://t.co/9HAHjuO4gl
— ITZY (@ITZYofficial) July 8, 2024
In February, Lia made her first public appearance since she went on hiatus at the band’s ‘Born To Be’ concert in Seoul. During the show, the singer was seen on the venue’s LED screens on stage, waving to fans and her fellow members.
Meanwhile, ITZY’s last release was their second studio album ‘Born to Be’. The record did not feature Lia for the vast majority of the tracks, aside from the solo track ‘Blossom’, which the singer released in the months prior.
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