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With the anticipation surrounding their debut at a fever pitch, all eyes are on the members of the brand new K-Pop girl group, ILLIT (I’ll-it)! Thanks to HYBE’s track record of launching chart-topping sensations like LE SSERAFIM and New Jeans in recent years, the company’s “youngest daughter group” has sparked a whirlwind of excitement among fans, who are eagerly awaiting the group’s debut and the infinite potential it promises—In this article, we’re going to be looking into the group that has everyone talking, ILLIT, as well as their upcoming debut and first album. So, if you’re ready, let’s get started!
1.
Who is ILLIT (I'll-it)?
The group ILLIT was formed on the K-Pop survival JTBC series ‘R U Next?’, which aired from June 30th to September 1st, 2023. During this ten-episode competition, 22 talented contestants and HYBE trainees competed for a spot in the final lineup of the new six-member girl group under Belift Lab. Belift Lab is known for creating and debuting the boy group ENHYPEN, formed on the 2020 survival show ‘I-LAND,’ which has since sold millions of records and become global top artists. This marked the company’s first time creating a girl group and HYBE’s third girl group debut following LE SSERAFIM and NewJeans, both of which were highly successful. After weeks of competing, in the final episode of ‘R U Next?’, ILLIT’s final members were introduced: Wonhee, Youngseo, Minju, Iroha, Moka, and Yunah, with two members chosen by public vote and four by the company’s producers. However, on January 5th of the following year, it was announced that Youngseo would be exiting the group, leaving the group with five members.
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2.
ILLIT Members
Now, let’s take a look at the members, starting with the oldest member and 04-liner, Yunah. Having trained for 4-5 years, Yunah was the ‘R U Next’ trainee with the most experience and was the final member to join the group. Next is Minju, who was picked by both the PDs and through fan votes. A former YG trainee, Minju is close to all the BABYMONSTER members and has been training since she was 15 years old. As for foreign members, ILLIT has two Japanese members: Moka from Fukuoka and former JYP trainee Iroha from Tokyo, who is also the group’s youngest member. Finally, we have Wonhee, who, having been picked by the fans, was the first member of ILLIT revealed to the public and has been nicknamed a ‘Vocal Fairy.’
Now that the group has been created, the members began training for their debut. On February 13th, around 5 months after ‘R U Next?’ finished, Belift Lab confirmed that ILLIT would be making their debut in March. Excitement continued to build as pre-orders opened on February 26th, coupled with ILLIT’s first public appearance as a group at the Acne Studios show during Paris Fashion Week on February 28th. The Chosun Daily wrote about ILLIT: ‘Through the program (‘R U Next’), the quintet demonstrated their proficiency in various music genres, earning acclaim for their vocal, rap, and dance skills, and have been dubbed an ‘all-visual center’ group. The five girls have already proven their global appeal by participating in a fashion week event in Paris, France, becoming the first K-pop act to do so even before their debut.’
ILLIT’s momentum was further bolstered when the group was chosen as the new faces of Acne Studios’ SS24 global campaign! Explaining to Dazed Magazine how the partnership came about, the members of ILLIT said, ‘After our team formed and we began preparing for our debut album, we tried to showcase styles that feel true to us, styles that reflect who we are on social media. We were so excited to hear Acne Studios wanted to chat and work with us after noticing us and our creative world.’
3.
Debut Album: Super Real Me
But, at the same time as the girls are flying to Paris and London and becoming the faces of Swedish fashion company Acne Studios, ILLIT was also busy recording their highly anticipated debut album, ‘Super Real Me.’ Produced under the guidance of HYBE’s renowned producer Bang Si-hyuk, known for his influence on BTS’ music as well as producing much of LE SSERAFIM and other HYBE groups’ discographies, news of the new album set the stage for ILLIT’s explosive upcoming debut. With Bang Si-hyuk’s track record of creating chart-topping hits and groundbreaking musical concepts, the collaboration between his expertise and ILLIT’s fresh talent hints at an album that will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression!
As the title ‘Super Real Me’ suggests, the album teases a concept centered around authenticity, self-expression, and embracing one’s true identity. In addition to their debut title song, “Magnetic,” ILLIT’s first album also includes the three B-side tracks, ‘My World,’ ‘Midnight Fiction,’ and ‘Lucky Girl Syndrome.’ According to Korea JoongAng Daily, in a press release ahead of their debut, the members spoke about their debut: “We are very glad and excited to finally make our debut that we have been longing for, (…) We also thank our fans, who have been waiting patiently. (…) We believe we’ve grown one step further through the recording sessions and the music video shoots we’ve had, and those experiences made us realize that we are actually making our debut.”
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4.
Pre-order
And there’s even more good news! “Super Real Me” is now available for pre-order! ILLIT’s first-ever album comes in two beautiful versions: the SUPER ME Ver. in a fresh blue and the REAL ME Ver. in enchanting purple and can be bought as a Set Version or Random Version. Each version promises an immersive experience with a wide range of exclusive content, including a stunning outbox, a beautifully designed photo book, a CD-R featuring their new tracks, and not one but two random photo cards (A and B) out of five options each, which ensures that there is a unique collectible for every fan. The album also includes an ILLIT logo sticker, an album logo sticker, a vibrant sticker set, a paper magnet, and a set of paper ornaments (randomly selected from five designs). Plus, a stunning poster featuring lyrics from the album!
Conclusion
Excitement is in the air as fans eagerly look forward to ILLIT’s debut and their album “Super Real Me.” So, now is the perfect time to secure your pre-order and be among the first to experience the magic of ILLIT’s debut album—if you want to pre-order ILLIT’s very first album and have it delivered quickly to your doorstep, consider using Delivered Korea’s ‘We Buy, We Ship’ or ‘You Buy, We Ship’ services’ or the DKshop.
