Collector is the title of the second Japanese-language studio album by the K-Pop girl group ITZY.
The album features 10 tracks, and it’s made up of an intriguing collection: five of these songs are entirely new, created especially for this release. There are also two subtitled “final versions,” which are re-recordings of previous singles released in Japan, and finally three Japanese adaptations of some of the group’s previous hits, originally recorded in Korean.
This album is an important milestone in ITZY’s international career development. And well, Japan has a massive music industry, and the musical affinities between Japanese and Korean audiences are strong, so it’s become commonplace these days for K-Pop groups to try breaking into that market.
In ITZY’s case, Collector was an instant success upon its release, hitting a high spot on Japan’s Oricon albums chart.
As a big fan of Japanese pop, hearing a K-Pop group’s aesthetic adapted to a style aimed at the Japanese audience is an experience I find utterly fascinating.
And that’s because, although both variants, J-Pop and K-Pop, share a similar sonic stamp of Asian pop, each has its own specific tendencies. They both offer a higher level of complexity compared to Western pop (more dynamism and sections; richer harmonies; it’s incredibly inventive music). It’s debatable, but I believe Japan takes the lead in musical complexity in this regard.
Broadly speaking, I also think J-Pop has a more harmonious sound, sweet and especially nostalgic, and it maintains its Asian identity in a purer form, with clear influences from its own culture and musical traditions.
K-Pop, on the other hand, is more edgy, more electrifying, like it has more attitude, and it presents an approach that has openly assimilated a huge variety of Western influences, including R&B, hip-hop, EDM, and even American pop, which has undoubtedly been key to its strong reception in the Western market.
It’s interesting to keep this in mind when listening to Collector, starting with the album’s lead single, ROCK & ROLL, a track that debuted alongside the release announcement. While the song retains ITZY’s signature K-Pop essence, the chorus picks up a distinctly Japanese nostalgic vibe.
The track Trigger, with its fun jazzy-pop groove, reminds me of Ado’s music, one of the most relevant Japanese singers right now.
One of the best tracks in the collection is Algorhythm (Final Ver.), which had already been released in Japan before, but it’s been re-recorded to include Lia, a member of ITZY who stepped away from the group for a while due to personal health reasons. It’s another song that nails the J-Pop style.
A track that keeps ITZY’s K-Pop essence fully intact is I. I. Know Me, which could easily fit on an album aimed at a Korean audience.
There are also a couple of songs with hip-hop and R&B influences, Out of Season and Wind Ride, which feel a bit low on energy for my taste but they work well as a contrast to the flow of the more dynamic tracks.
The last three songs, as I mentioned, are hits that ITZY originally had in Korea, re-recorded in Japanese. They sound great and serve as a solid introduction to the rest of ITZY’s discography. Gold, in particular, brings the group’s K-Pop identity right to the forefront.
Above all, I’m thrilled that the album includes a Japanese version of Imaginary Friend, which is one of my all-time favorite ITZY songs. A track I confess I can listen to over and over again.
I think both J-Pop and K-Pop fans will find music in Collector that they’ll enjoy. It strikes me as a stylistically diverse collection of songs crafted with real dedication. Without a doubt, the composers who worked on developing the music featured here knew exactly what they were doing in adapting ITZY’s aesthetic for the Japanese audience.
For anyone who doesn’t know ITZY yet, with a runtime of just half an hour, it’s well worth giving Collector a shot.
