According to JYP Entertainment's official YouTube channel, ITZY have released the first concept teaser for "Motto," and it is already signaling something meaningfully different from anything the group has done before. Set against a surrealist circus backdrop of acrobatic tension and blooming spring florals, the teasers position "Motto" as a pivot from precariousness to full bloom — a visual language that captures exactly where ITZY are in 2026.

The full mini album drops on May 18, 2026 at 6 PM KST (5 AM ET), with a countdown live scheduled for 5 PM KST on the same day. For fans outside Korea, that livestream will be one of the most-watched events of the K-pop spring season.

Motto Is ITZY's 2026 Full-Group Comeback — and the Stakes Are High

ITZY debuted February 11, 2019 with "DALLA DALLA," a track that topped Korean charts immediately and announced five members — Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna — as a group built around individuality rather than conformity. Seven years later, the five remain together, and "Motto" marks their first full-group comeback of 2026.

The album is officially their 12th mini album and follows the momentum of their third world tour, TUNNEL VISION, which ran through late 2025 and into 2026. It was during TUNNEL VISION that fans first heard each member's solo track — songs that have now been refined and packaged into the "Motto" release as a central creative feature.

The timing matters. In early 2026, ITZY's previous hit "That's a No No" (낫 샤이) experienced a significant chart resurgence, reminding a new wave of listeners exactly what makes this group compelling. Returning with "Motto" against that backdrop of renewed public attention gives the comeback a sharper runway than most. For a group that debuted during a period when K-pop's fourth generation was just beginning to take shape, ITZY have demonstrated an unusual ability to remain culturally relevant across multiple cycles of industry change.

Eight Tracks, Five Solos, One Statement

"Motto" — defined as a phrase used as a guiding principle — shapes the full tracklist into something more than a standard mini album. The eight tracks break down as follows:

Motto — title track
Glitch
you And I
Pocket (Yeji solo)
Asylum (Lia solo)
LOOK (Ryujin solo)
Undefined (Chaeryeong solo)
Tangerine (Yuna solo)

The decision to include all five members' solo tracks — each of which premiered live on the TUNNEL VISION world tour — is a remarkable gesture of trust in both the members and the fanbase. Solo tracks debuted live in concert environments are notoriously difficult to translate into studio releases that land with the same weight. JYP and ITZY have committed to making that translation publicly, with each member's individual creative voice treated as a core selling point of the project.

The physical album release is extensive: 15 versions in total, spanning three Photobook editions (A, B, C), five individual member versions, five Cake Clicker Keyring QR versions, and two Poca Album editions (A, B). For collectors, "Motto" is one of the most format-rich releases of the ITZY discography. The breadth of physical formats also speaks to a deliberate fan-engagement strategy, where each version offers distinct photobook content and collectible elements that incentivize multiple purchases among dedicated fans.

What the Concept Teasers Reveal About ITZY's Creative Direction

Two rounds of teaser photos have been released so far, and each batch deepens the visual world JYP has constructed for "Motto." The first set leaned into the surrealist circus aesthetic: members suspended in acrobatic tension, surrounded by imagery that suggests controlled danger and practiced grace. The second round shifted to softer spring florals — each member associated with a distinct flower color, a visual motif that ties individual identity to collective bloom.

Read together, the teasers tell a story of transformation: five people navigating uncertainty and emerging into something vivid and alive. It is not a subtle metaphor, but subtlety has rarely been ITZY's strength or ambition. Where BTS built their visual identity on literary and philosophical reference, ITZY have always worked in immediate, visceral image — and "Motto" appears to be the most fully realized version of that instinct yet.

Ryujin's teaser in particular — framed in deep blue against architectural concrete — signals that at least some of the "Motto" aesthetic is willing to sit in shadow as well as light, adding a complexity to the spring concept that keeps the visuals from tipping into easy brightness. The contrast between the darker individual teasers and the lighter ensemble florals suggests a structural interplay between the solo tracks and the group material — an idea that the full album will either confirm or complicate.

ITZY's Members in 2026: Seven Years of Growth

What distinguishes ITZY at this point in their career is not just longevity but the consistency with which each member has developed a distinct creative identity beyond their original debut role. Yeji, the group's leader, remains one of the most technically accomplished dancers in the fourth-generation landscape; her stage presence has matured from the sharp precision of her early years into something more grounded and commanding. Ryujin has evolved from center rapper to a fully rounded performer whose stage command increasingly drives the group's collective energy. Lia's vocal development has been steady and deliberate, positioning her increasingly as a co-anchor alongside Chaeryeong on the more melodically demanding material. Chaeryeong's fluid, expressive choreography continues to generate its own dedicated fanbase — arguably the most purely dance-focused of the five. And Yuna, ITZY's youngest, has grown into the group's strongest visual presence and one of its most underrated vocalists.

With "Motto" arriving on May 18 and the countdown live set for the day of release, ITZY are signaling that this comeback is not meant to coast on nostalgia or catalog value. The group that made "DALLA DALLA" and "NOT SHY" and "Mafia in the Morning" is making a case, seven years in, for why "Motto" is the most important chapter yet. For long-term fans, the album represents the clearest expression yet of what ITZY has been building toward — a group confident enough in their identity to let each member speak for themselves, while still making the case for the group as something greater than the sum of its parts.

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