In recent years K-Pop has totally taken the music world by storm. The genre has gone from something that dominates the Eastern music listening world but struggles to break into the Western world to a total worldwide phenomenon. During the late 2010s, artists like BTS, TWICE, and BlackPink created a multitude of hits that started the K-Pop takeover worldwide. In the 2020s, though, K-Pop has risen to another level due to the new generation of K-Pop groups captivating apps like TikTok and Instagram in a way that even their iconic predecessors could not do. Artists like Le Sserafim, NewJeans, and TXT have to chart in Western Music Charts frequently, turning K-Pop into a force to be reckoned with everywhere. A brand new K-Pop artist that is already going viral and starting to make a name for themselves very quickly is ILLIT. Although ILLIT has only been officially together for about 6 months, they have already released a new EP that is charting, due to its lead single doing numbers online. Like many other popular K-Pop groups, ILLIT came together from a reality competition show. R U Next? aired for ten episodes last summer, and 6 members out of 22 were selected for a new girl group that was set to debut in 2024. One of these members decided to drop out of the group before any music came out, so now ILLIT is made up of five members: Yunah, Minju, Moka, Wonhee, and Iroha. ILLIT’s new EP SUPER REAL ME is one of the hottest things in K-Pop right now. Below, I wanted to talk about ILLIT’s SUPER REAL ME and decide whether or not all of the hype around them is warranted. The way they are being talked about, ILLIT could end up being the next big thing. With that being said, here is how I feel about ILLIT’s new EP SUPER REAL ME. Please let me know in the comments below what your top songs are from SUPER REAL ME, and also comment on how you feel about the EP as a whole.
This brief EP starts out with ‘My World,’ a short and succinct opener with a classic feeling to it. To me, the worst thing about this song is that it is not longer. I honestly love its sound, as it is so fresh and nostalgic at the same time. ‘My World’ does lean into a trend that has been big in Pop music over the last two years, as it is definitely inspired by Y2K Pop music. It has the energy of the music that artists like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were making at the turn of the century. The groovy bassline that drives this melody has such an early 2000s Funky Pop music feeling, and the drum pattern has that kind of Funky Pop element to it as well. The synths that complement the melody for ‘My World’ do give the song a modern feeling, though, which I appreciate a ton. The vocals on ‘My World’ are great, with each member contributing uniquely. I really enjoy the different tones of the members from ILLIT mesh and make the song feel so full. ‘My World’ is a very good opener for SUPER REAL ME, even if it does feel a bit too momentary. ‘Magnetic’ is the lead single from this project that is growing on TikTok and Instagram exponentially by the day. It is very easy to see why this track has become so popular so quickly, as frankly, it is such a fun and entertaining bop. Like the track that precedes it, this one feels evocative and newfangled. The instrumental is inspired by 1990s DnB and Garage music, especially through the drum pattern. There is a Trap breakdown during the second verse of the track, however, which switches up the pacing and sound and keeps the listener on their toes. ‘Magnetic’ has a bright and bubbly melody that is so charming and sweet. This melody has the kind of sound that will put anyone who hears it in a good mood. Similar to ‘My World,’ the vocals on ‘Magnetic’ are dynamic and add so much to the track. I love the wide range of tones from the members of ILLIT on ‘Magnetic,’ this makes the song even more enthralling and fun to listen to and sing along to. ‘Magnetic’ is an absolute hit from ILLIT that asserted them as a group that needs to be paid attention to.
‘Midnight Fiction’ is a track that once again feels inspired by retro Pop music, albeit from a slightly different era than what we heard on the first two songs. It is funny to me that one of the lyrics in the pre-chorus for ‘Midnight Fiction’ contains the term “teenage dream,” because this song immediately made me think of Katy Perry when I first listened to it. The melody for ‘Midnight Fiction’ is airy, light, and atmospheric. The guitar riff and synths that drive this melody make me feel like I am floating when I hear it. The beat for ‘Midnight Fiction’ is bouncy and fun; it will get anyone moving their hips and bopping their head when it comes on. As far as vocals go, ILLIT nails it again in this track. The variance in tones from the members of ILLIT makes ‘Midnight Fiction’ feel so warm and pleasant and makes the song that much more enjoyable. ‘Midnight Fiction’ is a song that pays homage to a style of Pop music that does not get enough love. ILLIT closes out SUPER REAL ME with ‘Lucky Girl Syndrome.’ Unfortunately, this one does not draw me in as much as the first three songs. It seems to lean into the Disco-tinted Pop theme that has been made prevalent by artists like Dua Lipa and The Weeknd. It almost feels fused with typical late 2010s Pop music, though, in a way that does not feel natural. I wish the melody had more sparkling synths to complement the groovy guitar riff that drives the melody. This kind of music should feel super cozy and bright, but there is something almost cold about ‘Lucky Girl Syndrome’ because of the mix. I appreciate the quirkiness of this melody and beat, but it does not work super well in my opinion. I will say that the vocals on ‘Lucky Girl Syndrome’ save it a bit and make it more enjoyable. For what the song lacks in a strong instrumental, it almost completely makes up for with vigorous vocals from the members of ILLIT. I feel like ILLIT could have closed out SUPER REAL ME on a much stronger note than they did with ‘Lucky Girl Syndrome,’ but this is still an additional track where the talent of these five ladies does shine through, regardless of the instrumental.
Due to the current K-Pop world being so competitive, I feel like new artists are always being unfairly compared to their counterparts. I have seen a little bit of criticism online due to people thinking they sound too much like NewJeans, but honestly, I do not see this comparison. Besides ‘Magnetic’ a little bit, I do not think that SUPER REAL ME sounds anything like NewJeans. On top of that, trying to compare any up-and-coming groups to NewJeans is unfair because of how great that group has been from the jump; ILLIT can be very good in their own right without having to live up to their peers. SUPER REAL ME is not a perfect debut, but it is still very good. This EP is not full of the most original or riveting music, but it is still very catchy and high-quality for what it is. My favorite thing about SUPER REAL ME is the vocal performances from the five members. Regardless of how you feel about the instrumentals, one can not deny the vocal talent of ILLIT. SUPER REAL ME is a strong debut from one of K-Pop’s newest group of stars, and it makes me excited to see how they improve and expand upon their sound in the future.
EAST SIDE VIBES 