ILLIT determined to carve own path with 2nd mini-album ‘I’ll Like You’

ILLIT members (from left) Wonhee, Minju, Yunah, Iroha, and Moka. Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab

Months after debuting with the megahit “Magentic,” ILLIT — consisting of Yunah, Minju, Moka, Wonhee, and Iroha — declared that their second mini-album “I’ll Like You” is a display of their growth as a K-pop girl group.

The female quintet debuted in March 2024 with their first mini-album “Super Real Me” which includes their megahit. Since then, the girl group has braved their instant popularity and tumultuous journey, as reflected in their black-and-white ensembles during their media showcase in Seoul, South Korea.

ILLIT during a media showcase for “I’ll Like You” in Seoul. Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab

ILLIT established themselves as a girl group who aims to relate to girls of the same age. This can be seen in the use of pastel shades and whimsical elements in their ensembles, concept photos, music videos, and other content, as well as the 1980s anime-inspired touch to their music.

“I believe that ILLIT-ness is all about our music because it is based on our thoughts,” Wonhee said when asked to explain what defines the girl group.

“We often come up with the main theme of our songs through our thoughts. The identity of ILLIT is reflected in our songs. In the process, we try to blend in the thoughts girls our age can relate to… I think our cute and whimsical lyrics are very much relatable to teenagers our age.”

Wonhee of ILLIT. Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab

With this in mind, Minju stated that their second mini-album “I’ll Like You” continues to showcase their “candid style” while showing what they can offer to the public. “In ‘I Like You,’ we aim to show more of ILLIT’s candid style and expand our musical portfolio with new styles,” she said in response to INQUIRER.net’s question.

“I hope this album will show [a more] skilled version of us,” she continued.

“There’s so much more than music that we want to share going forward.”

Minju of ILLIT. Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab

The EP (or extended play) contains five tracks: “I’ll Like You,” its title track “Cherish (My Love),” “IYKYK (If You Know You Know),” “Pimple,” and “Tick-Tack.”

Meanwhile, the music video — conceptualized by the group’s leader Yunah — for the lead track shows the members in colorful sets, each having different interpretations of wisdom teeth.

To note, “sarangnee,” the Korean word for wisdom tooth is similar to the phrase “saranghae” or “I love you” in English.

This explains the use of wisdom teeth in the music video, as it’s common in South Korea to relate its growth to the beginning of love.

“When it comes to me, my members, and girls of my age, it’s around this time where we see wisdom teeth emerging… this translates into us marching forward with our honest feelings,” Yunah said of the music video’s concept.

ILLIT while performing “IYKYK (If You Know You Know)” during a media showcase for “I’ll Like You” in Seoul. Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab

‘Keep moving forward’

At some point during the showcase, ILLIT addressed past claims involving their concept and performance skills, as well as their company.

Taking on tough questions will always be nerve-wracking for many stars, but Yunah maintained her composure as she expressed their dedication to carving their path.

“We want to remain committed to this unwavering dedication to walk our own path. We want to keep moving forward. Since our determination was reflected in this album, we really hope that the message will reach the hearts of the audience,” she said.

“To our fans who give us unwavering support no matter what, we’ve been working hard… we want to protect their precious love and show a better version of ourselves.”

Yunah of ILLIT. Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab

Iroha, the group’s youngest member, also pointed out that the female quintet has been “taking every feedback” seriously.

“We have been reviewing and practicing every detail of our live performance to keep improving. Moving forward, we will continue to show our growth as a group.”

Meanwhile, Moka said she put her best foot forward and applied a rookie mindset.

“For this comeback, I worked really hard putting my all into every performance, as if I was debuting again,” she said. “I always try to give my best with every dedication.”

Moka of ILLIT. Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab

Despite their hardships, Minju shared that the group will always remind themselves of the love and support they received from fans (also known as GLLITs) to keep going.

“It’s such a special thing and we’re so grateful for them. It gave us so much energy and made us want to present a better performance this time,” she said.

The “Music Bank” host also shared that the support of their fans serves as ILLIT’s reminder to do better.

“With the second mini-album, we want to receive feedback that we’ve grown compared to our previous album. We have grown and we’re looking forward to presenting this to the general public and in front of our GLLITs,” continued Minju.

Iroha of ILLIT. Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab

ILLIT is aware that they still have a long way to go as a group. But it doesn’t stop them from dreaming big and setting goals for the future, such as being one of the representatives of K-pop’s 5th Generation.

“Personally, I like to hear that we’re [among] the leaders of 5th Generation groups. The definition of 5th Generation [and] the definition of Gen-Z, it would be great if we’ll be called an idol like that,” said Yunah.