ILLLIT members (from left) Moka, Minju, Iroha, Yunah, and Wonhee. Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab
From their pastel ensembles to bright smiles, ILLIT members bring with them the aura of fairies. As soon as Yunah, Minju, Moka, Wonhee, and Iroha stepped onstage at a media showcase, they exude a whimsical vibe that was hard to miss. It’s as if they were wearing crystal halos.
But ILLIT — formed by HYBE’s sub-label Belift Lab — said their goal is to be a beloved girl group known for their “natural charms and positive energy.” While being “whimsical” is part of their group, Yunah said they want to be a quintet that brings out the liveliness in their music and performances.
“The stage performance is important. But we tried to use a lot of things we do when we have fun,” Yunah said at a showcase ahead of their debut. “When we have fun amongst ourselves, and be whimsical and lively, we try to include it in our bouncy dance and expressions. And that’s what we think is whimsicality.”
ILLIT members (from left) Minju, Iroha, Wonhee, Moka, and Yunah pose for photos during their media showcase. Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab
The quintet’s name is a combination of the phrase “I will” and “it,” with a dash separating them as a way of showing the group’s “limitless potential” to make a mark in the industry.
“Our slogan, we can become anything, is sort of a confidence booster. When we practice, we would think of our own color,” said Yunah. “The slogan allows [us] to become more confident.”
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Among the highlights of ILLIT’s debut single “Magnetic” was the combination of pop, pluggnb, and house genres to convey the “heart-pounding” feeling of a “teenager approaching their crush.” This, in turn, was reflected in their choreography as well.
“Magnetic” is the title track of their debut EP “Super Real Me” which also contains the tracks “My World,” “Midnight Fiction,” and “Lucky Girl Syndrome.”
“Just as the meaning of our album ‘Super Real Me,’ our strength is being super immersed in our daily lives. We have the natural charms we want to show to our fans,” said Minju.
ILLIT performs “Magnetic” during their media showcase. Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab
On what sets ILLIT apart
ILLIT was declared the first girl group of K-pop’s 5th Generation at the showcase. The pressure seems overwhelming for some, but the girl group carried the title with pride to show their “true selves” to the public.
“I think what sets us apart is that we are always super immersed in the moment, stage, performance, and our daily lives,” Minju said. “We’ll show these facets of us to our fans.”
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Moka echoed Minju’s statement, saying having the ability to “express their true emotions” is what makes them stand out from their peers.
“Showing who we are means showing our true selves. This means being true to our emotions and knowing how to express these expressions is what will make us stand out,” said Moka. “We worked really hard and what’s important for us is to show people that we worked hard on this album, I hope the fans can listen to our diverse array of songs.”
ILLIT treats the press to two performances during their media showcase. Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab
As the latest HYBE group, ILLIT would rather see this feat as an opportunity to learn from their seniors. Also part of the K-pop giant are BTS, Seventeen, fromis_9, Enhypen, Tomorrow X Together (TXT), LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans, BoyNextDoor, &Team, and TWS, among others.
“We have a lot of seniors who we can learn from and look up to. We try to remember this while doing our best to live up to your expectations. We will work harder,” Minju said.
ILLIT’s goals
As they made their debut, Wonhee said one of their goals is to simply enjoy their careers on- and offstage instead of giving in to the pressure.
“Since we’re rookies, our goal is to enjoy onstage and offstage just like our senior artists. We want to show that we enjoy what we do. After some time, we hope that we can be comfortable and enjoy ourselves,” she said while adding they hope to top the charts and win music shows in South Korea.
“Our goal is to top the charts for music shows, that’s one of our goals. ‘Magnetic’ is the first song we’re releasing to the public and if we become first place, we will feel fulfilled,” continued Wonhee.
ILLIT members (from left) Minju, Iroha, Wonhee, Moka, and Yunah during their media showcase. Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab
Moka, on the other hand, admitted that their goal is to be named the Rookie Group of the Year. “There’s a bigger goal which is to get a rookie girl group of the year. We want to be the best newbies [in the industry] and I hope we can get that award.”
Before their debut, ILLIT gained buzz after attending Paris Fashion Week in February, which Iroha said was a glimpse of how much they wanted to meet their fans in different parts of the world.
“We met our global fans for the first time during Paris Fashion Week and I find myself hoping to meet them again. I want to hear ILLIT as a beloved 5th Generation K-pop girl group,” Iroha said.
ILLIT while performing during their media showcase. Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab
Meanwhile, Yunah said ILLIT is a “candid, frank, and audacious” girl group that will hopefully, captivate the public.
“I think we have our own charms. We’re candid, frank, and have this audacious side of us, and this witty side that we can show. I hope the public can enjoy the different sides of music in the company — and the best facet of ourselves for everyone,” she said.