Gold (Itzy EP)

Gold is the ninth extended play by South Korean girl group Itzy. It was released by JYP Entertainment and Republic Records on October 15, 2024, and contains 11 tracks, including the singles "Gold" and "Imaginary Friend" and five tracks from Born to Be (2024) re-recorded as a quintet. The EP marks the return of Lia to group activities following her health-related hiatus.

Background

Itzy performed as a quartet from September 2023 to July 2024 while Lia took a hiatus to focus on her recovery from anxiety. During this time, they released and promoted the extended play Born to Be in January 2024, and the Japanese-language single "Algorhythm" in May 2024. Lia resumed her group activities on July 8, 2024, during a livestream for the group's fifth anniversary. JYP Entertainment confirmed that Itzy would be releasing their next album in October on the same day.

Music and lyrics

Composition

We created this album with the determination to properly show our colors, encompassing all those feelings. We wanted to say that we are still different

— Yuna, during a showcase for the album

Gold consists of 11 tracks and has a runtime of 33 minutes and 56 seconds. The EP's tracks revolve around the motif "our world is still different" and aim to showcase the group's versatility. Itzy collaborated with producers Ryan S. Jhun and Dem Jointz, and lyricists Jo Yoon-kyung and Bang Hye-hyun in producing the record. Changbin of Stray Kids features on "Vay" and was listed as a writer for the track.

Songs

The EP opens with the pop-rock eponymous track, which showcases the group's signature energetic sound and features the electric guitar. "Imaginary Friend" explores a sweeter melody that contrasts with the band's past work, exploring an old school pop-style acoustic sound. "Bad Girls R Us" contains elements of country pop and jazz with "sassy" motifs. Chaeryeong highlights "Supernatural" for having a "mysterious and dreamy vibes". Yeji explained that "Five" expresses the group's bond from their "first meeting to the present", deeming it an integral part of the album.

The latter part of the album are re-recorded versions of "Born to Be", "Untouchable", "Mr. Vampire", "Dynamite", and "Escalator" from Born to Be (2024), which included Lia's vocals and were noted as "Final version".

Release and promotion

Gold was released on October 15, 2024, alongside the singles "Gold" and "Imaginary Friend", as Itzy's ninth extended play.

The record's title and release date were announced on September 13, alongside the promotional schedule. The album's concept trailer was released on September 30. On October 7, the six new tracks for the album were previewed through a series of videos accompanied by instrumental snippets.

The music video teasers for "Gold" were released on October 9 and 11. Following the release of Gold, Itzy held a fan meeting on November 2 to support the album.

Track listing

Charts

Certifications

Release history