Rookie girl group ILLIT’s song “Magnetic” has landed on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, becoming the first debut track by a K-pop act to make the list.

“Magnetic” debuted at number 91 on Billboard’s ranking of the most popular songs in the US for the week of April 20, ILLIT’s agency Belift Lab said in a press release on Tuesday.

The Billboard Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, online streaming and radio airplay in the United States, and YouTube music video views to calculate its rankings.

“Magnetic” is the lead track from ILLIT’s debut EP “Super Real Me”, which was released on 25 March. It is a fusion of plugg, R&B and house music, according to Belift Lab.

ILLIT’s “Magnetic” Music Video

ILLIT (아일릿) ‘Magnetic’ Official MV

The song also landed on Spotify’s Daily Top Song Global chart on the day of its release, and later on the streaming platform’s Weekly Top Song chart for the United States. It has spent two weeks in the UK’s Official Singles Chart Top 100 since entering the chart on 4 April.

Belift Lab attributes ILLIT’s success to the group’s relatable and honest portrayal of teenage girls through their music, performances, visuals, concept and promotional strategies.

This is evidenced by the popularity of tracks from ‘Super Real Me’ among teenagers on short-form platforms such as TikTok, according to the label.

“The album was made with what the members said in interviews and their stories in mind,” said Belift Lab.

“Rather than showcasing girls who are ahead of their time, the album highlights girls you want to hang out with, hyper-fixate on moments and dream fantasies with. Visually, the quirky, vibrant and natural charms of the members were highlighted.

The music and choreography were also created with short video formats in mind, such as dance challenge videos.

“‘Magnetic’ is a pluggnb genre, which makes it ideal for use in short videos such as one-minute dance challenges,” said Belift Lab.

“The choreography expresses the way the south and north poles of magnets stick together and then separate. It uses basic hip-hop steps and rhythmic movements to capture the whimsical and animated spirit of ILLIT in a kitschy way. It’s a dance that’s easy for anyone to follow.

ILLIT (아일릿) ‘Lucky Girl Syndrome’ Official Teaser

Want to know more about ILLIT?

ILLIT (아일릿; also stylized as :ll:+) is a five-member multinational girl group under Belift Lab. Formed through the JTBC reality show R U Next? and originally as six, they made their debut on March 25, 2024 with the mini album Super Real Me.

Their group name is derived from the phrase “I Will Be It”. It is a group name that combines the autonomous and proactive will (I will) with the pronoun (It) that signifies something special. Depending on the verb that fits between the two words, it can become anything.

On June 1, 2023, JTBC and Belift Lab announced that they have begun filming for the new survival program R U Next?, which aims to create the agency’s next global girl group. The contestants will be assessed through seven rounds and on June 7, JTBC posted three film photographies along with a teaser video.

“R U Next?” premiered on June 30, 2023, while the live finale was broadcasted on September 1, with the girls who ranked in the top six to debut in the show’s product group I’LL-IT. During the finale, six different contestants were revealed to make their debut. Wonhee ranked first overall, Youngseo ranked second, Minju ranked third, Iroha ranked fourth, Moka ranked sixth, and Yunah ranked fifth (but was announced sixth). Among these contestants, two were chosen by the viewers and four chosen by the label.[4] In addition, it was announced that the group is set to debut in 2024. The group’s SNS accounts were launched later that day.

On September 8, they posted the profile photos for the members.

Photo Credits: Belift Lab

On January 5, 2024, Youngseo left I’LL-IT after coming to a mutual agreement to terminate her contract with Belift Lab.

2024: Debut with Super Real Me

On February 13, Belift Lab confirmed that I’LL-IT will be debuting in March. On February 21, it was confirmed that the group will debut on March 25 with a mini album. Through a logo teaser released on February 26, the group name was revealed to be stylized as ILLIT moving forward and later that same day, Belift Lab officially announced the title of ILLIT’s first mini album, Super Real Me.

The Kpoppie News Team

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