ILLIT Makes History: Explosive Debut 'Magnetic' Rocks Billboard Hot 100

According to the latest chart preview released by Billboard on April 15 (local time) via its official social media, ILLIT's mini album title track "Magnetic" will enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. 91 on April 20. This makes ILLIT the first K-pop group to have their debut song chart on the Billboard Hot 100. ILLIT, who debuted on March 25, also holds the record for the fastest K-pop artist to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart after debuting.

 

The Billboard Hot 100 chart is ranked based on a combination of physical and digital album sales, streaming figures, radio airplay scores, and YouTube views. For newer, non-English-speaking artists like ILLIT, the barrier to entry is very high, as they are not well known locally and have difficulty scoring points in the radio airplay category. ILLIT broke through these barriers in one fell swoop.

 

K-Pop Girl Group 'ILLIT'

 

ILLIT's music, performance, visuals, concept, and promotion strategy have all been meticulously planned. From the pre-promotion stage to now, ILLIT's real story ("SUPER REAL ME"), which is to tell it like it is, has quickly gone viral on short-form social media such as TikTok and has penetrated the hearts of teenage peers.

 

ILLIT's agency said, "We created the album based on the members' interviews and storytelling," and focused not on girls who are ahead of their time, but on girls who evoke emotions that make you want to hang out with them, girls who get caught up in the moment and dream of the same fantasies as you. Visually, we emphasized their quirky, spontaneous nature." The agency also said that the title track, "Magnetic," can be either a trendy, sophisticated song or a nostalgic reminder of the past, depending on the listener. Although ILLIT's song is targeted at teenagers, it has been recognized as a song that can be enjoyed by a wide range of ages.

 

K-Pop Girl Group 'ILLIT'

 

"After dozens of listening sessions and thousands of demos, we narrowed it down to five songs that best fit the age and tone of the members and maximized their energy," said ILLIT's agency. "'Magnetic' is also optimized to be used in dance challenges and other types of short-form videos that are cut into one-minute segments due to the genre nature of Fluckenbee."

 

The dance performance for "Magnetic" was created with the meaning of each lyric in mind, he says, with emphasis on every line. We used basic hip-hop steps and rhythmic movements to perfectly represent Eilidh's chubby, wacky persona. The pointe choreography was based on the moment when the N and S poles of the magnet are attracted and repelled. Overall, the choreography is easy for anyone to follow."