ILLIT members (from left) Yunah, Minju, Wonhee, Moka, and Iroha in a concept photo for “bomb.” Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab
From the surface, the members of ILLIT — consisting of Yunah, Minju, Wonhee, Moka, and Iroha — look like pixies straight out of a fairytale book. They do not have elf-shaped ears or wings, but they possess a magical aura that attracts potential fans into their universe.
When the quintet debuted in March 2024, they stated that their concept revolves around the “honest feelings of teenage girls.” Majority of their concepts centered around the use of whimsical and dreamlike elements, which is somehow a contrast to how they want to be known, but portraying themselves as “magical girls” goes hand in hand with the message they want to deliver to the “real world.”
“The ILLIT magic means believing in your limitless potential,” Iroha said during a media showcase for the girl group’s third mini-album “bomb” in Seoul, South Korea. “We believe every girl in the real world can be magical once she recognizes her own potential. This is why in [our] brand film, we say we are all magical girls. Through our songs, we want to share that message of positivity and strength with everyone.”
Composed of the tracks “little monster,” “Do the Dance,” “jellyous,” “oops!” and “night picnic,” the mini-album shows the reality of being a “magical girl.”
ILLIT members (from left) Yunah, Wonhee, Minju, Iroha, and Moka during a media showcase for “bomb” in Seoul, South Korea. Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab
This is portrayed in the title track “Do the Dance” — containing a sample from the song “Elegant Escape” from the Japanese animated film “The Five Star Stories” — which shows the “innocence and excitement of a first date.” One of the mini-album’s b-sides, “little monster,” shows how one conquers their inner demons by perceiving them as tiny devils instead.
“In our first two albums, we focused on ‘me.’ But this third mini-album expands our concept by focusing on ‘you.’ We expanded ourselves, and because of this new story that was added, we’re showing new sides of ourselves. The music has become a lot more diverse, and that’s a new side that we will be showing with you,” Yunah explained.
Yunah poses for photos at ILLIT’s media showcase for their third mini-album “bomb.” Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab
The music video of “little monster,” dropped days before the mini-album’s release date, Minju pointed out that the sudden change of the “little monsters” into jelly represents a more positive shift of one’s mindset when it comes to dealing with negative emotions.
“[The song’s brand film] ties into the message of one of our tracks in our third mini-album. We have many moments when we feel anxious and uneasy inside. We chose to represent those emotions as little monsters, and we eat these little monsters [that are transformed into] jelly, and that’s the message we want to share,” she added.
Growing at their own pace
Honesty has always been at the core of ILLIT’s music. Their first mini-album, “Super Real Me,” shows the confidence of expressing feelings of love, while their follow-up release, “I’ll Like You,” acknowledges that “feelings of affection” matter, and there is nothing wrong with facing them head-on.
In their latest release, “bomb” shows that magical girls can fall and grow. This explains why Minju feels a “greater sense of responsibility” with the release of their third mini-album.
“Since our debut, we have received so much love, which has given us a greater sense of responsibility. More than anything, we want to show how much we’ve grown and how hard we’ve worked,” she said.
Minju poses for photos at ILLIT’s media showcase for their third mini-album “bomb.” Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab
Wonhee poses for photos at ILLIT’s media showcase for their third mini-album “bomb.” Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab
Staying on the topic of growth, Minju shared that there was a point she pushed herself “so hard” while preparing for the album that she tasted blood in her throat.
“I wanted to express my vocals in a way that reflected the album. In the beginning, it was hard. I couldn’t do it well. But in order to grow and present yourselves and reach more people, I wanted to grow and practice more,” she said.
“I pushed myself so hard to practice, even to the point where I could taste blood in my throat. I focused on strengthening my vocal ability and went back to the basics, and practiced harder. One day, our vocal coach said my voice had become much more stable, and hearing that feedback made me happy,” continued Minju.
Moka poses for photos at ILLIT’s media showcase for their third mini-album “bomb.” Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab
Meanwhile, Moka focused on expressing herself in different ways. Since her debut, she has already garnered attention for her fairy-like appearance and the confidence to shift seamlessly from one expression to another. But she believes that she can do better.
“This time focused more on growth, doing our best, and [highlighted] the need to express ourselves. During the recording process, I tried closing my eyes while recording. Sometimes, I sat down, and sometimes I danced. I tried to focus more on expressing myself,” she said.
Iroha poses for photos at ILLIT’s media showcase for their third mini-album “bomb.” Image: Courtesy of Belift Lab
Beyond their fairylike appearance, ILLIT highlighted that they want to show the realness behind their concept of being magical. For them, they define a “magical girl” is someone with “boundless possibilities” who can hopefully realize their potential at the right time.
“ILLIT is a team full of boundless possibilities. We look forward to being a team that can take on all different challenges and face them head-on — I think that’s what makes us ILLIT,” Wonhee said. “This time, we’re excited to show a new side of ourselves by reimagining the magical girl concept.”