Rookie Girl Group Achieves Rapid Global Recognition Amidst Criticism

Courtesy of Belift Lab

▲ Illit / Courtesy of Belift Lab

A K-pop rookie group, Illit, made its debut on the Billboard 200 chart with their EP "Super Real Me," despite facing allegations of unoriginality in their concept. The group, managed by Belift Lab under the Hybe umbrella, debuted at 93rd on the Billboard 200 less than a month after entering the Hot 100 chart at 91st with their title track "Magnetic" on April 20.

Illit encountered criticism for similarities with the established girl band NewJeans, also under the Hybe label. Ador CEO Min Hee-jin accused Hybe of appropriating NewJeans' successful content in creating Illit, citing resemblances in group member imagery and debut album photo concepts.

Despite these controversies, Illit's rapid ascent on the global stage is noteworthy. The group achieved the fastest K-pop artist entry on the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 without any US promotional activities. "Magnetic," their title track, held 6th and 12th positions on Billboard's Global and Global 200 charts, respectively, for six consecutive weeks.

Illit's success extends beyond individual tracks. They secured the 41st position on the Billboard Artist 100 chart and jumped 24 places to second on the Emerging Artist chart, marking their fourth consecutive week on the latter.

Sayart 

Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com