After five months of waiting, ILLIT returned with their single album Not cute anymore— yet the release has sparked widespread debate as the group faces its third consecutive underperforming comeback, despite high expectations following their viral debut success Magnetic.
The MV for Not cute anymore it surpassed 10 million views in its first 24 hours, a respectable figure given the saturated state of K-pop. However, digital performance tells a different story. The song reached number 34 on Bugs, number 119 on Melon and number 163 on Genie, failing to meet public expectations for a group that once went global overnight.
However, ILLIT achieved over 700,000 streams in its first day on Spotify, marking the biggest girl group debut of 2025 on the platform, an indicator that their overseas listener base remains active.
Three comebacks, same model: strong visibility, weak digital results
Observers notice Not cute anymore continues a downward trend already seen in previous releases of the group.
- “Do the dance” (mid-2025)
Despite going viral on TikTok with its Sailor Moon-inspired graphics and glitter trend, the song struggled on the charts:
#25 Bugs
#69 Melon
#88 Genius
Its widespread social media presence has failed to convert into sustained streaming performance.
- “Love” (End 2024)
ILLIT’s first return peaked modestly:
#12 Bugs
#45 Genius
#59 Melon Top 100
#63 FLUO
Despite decent visibility, the track was unable to capitalize on the enormous momentum of the Magneticsignaling cracks in the group’s long-term digital impact.
Why is ILLIT in trouble? Several factors converge
- Long gaps between releases
With 8-10 months separating each return, ILLIT steadily loses momentum in an industry driven by rapid, high-frequency exposure. Without a strong, established fandom, any disruption reduces audience interest.
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Weak fanbase compared to the competition
While HYBE’s other girl group, LE SSERAFIM, and fifth generation rivals like BABYMONSTER show strong and loyal fandom involvement, ILLIT’s fandom remains relatively small, making it more difficult to create rankings. -
The long shadow of the Hanni controversy
ILLIT’s image suffered heavily after past claims involving NewJeans’ Hanni resurfaced. Hanni had previously claimed that a manager at Belift Lab had ordered artists to ignore her, leading to rumors that ILLIT members were passing by without saying hello.
However, the Seoul Central District Court later ruled that CCTV footage did not support the allegations of mistreatment. The court further stated that Min Hee Jin (former CEO of ADOR) bore primary responsibility and that Hanni’s personal account could not be fully accepted.
After the sentence, Hanni’s old Instagram post was rediscovered, where he wrote: “I remember everything. I wanted to talk about it in court but I held back. Please stop harassing me, ADOR and HYBE.”
This led to keywords like “Lying Hanni” trending on Korean platforms, with Pann’s related posts surpassing 85,000 views and attracting hundreds of heated comments.
Throughout the controversy, ILLIT has endured months of misinformation, defamation, and online hostility, which has affected both public sentiment and members’ individual reputations.
Will ILLIT be able to regain its momentum?
With Not cute anymore Struggling to climb the digital charts and public opinion only beginning to stabilize after a storm of unfounded rumors, analysts are wondering whether ILLIT can reignite the explosive excitement of their debut.
However, their strong debut performance on Spotify indicates that international listeners still have interest, suggesting room for a return if the group can maintain consistent releases, strengthen their core fandom and rebuild national trust.
For now, the question remains: Is it too late to revive ILLIT’s momentum, or is a new breakthrough still possible for the five Belift Lab rookies?
