ILLIT to Make Debut Appearance at Japan's Prestigious Year-End Music Festival 'Kohaku Uta Gassen'

The group ILLIT has confirmed their appearance at Japan's largest year-end music festival, 'Kohaku Uta Gassen', just eight months after their debut.

ILLIT, consisting of members YoonA, Minju, Moka, Wonhee, and Iroha, attended the press conference for the '75th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen' held at the NHK Broadcasting Center in Tokyo, Japan, on the 19th.

Invited as first-time performers at 'Kohaku Uta Gassen', the group expressed their excitement, stating, "It's an honor to perform on such a grand stage like 'Kohaku Uta Gassen' in the year of our debut as ILLIT. We promise to deliver an energetic and impressive performance, so please look forward to it."

'Kohaku Uta Gassen' is a prestigious year-end music program broadcasted annually on December 31st by Japan's NHK, featuring artists who have made significant impacts and gained widespread popularity throughout the year. ILLIT's invitation to the program even before their official debut in Japan highlights their rising popularity in the region. The show's high viewership and buzz make an appearance a testament to an artist's local popularity.

ILLIT's achievements in Japan this year have been remarkable. Their mini-album 'SUPER REAL ME', released in March, saw its title track 'Magnetic' surpass 100 million cumulative streams in record time for a female group, according to the Japan Record Association and Oricon. The track was also ranked 5th on TikTok's 'Songs of the Summer 2024' list in Japan.

Riding on the success of this track, ILLIT topped the 'Tower Records Music 2024 First Half Streaming Rankings' in the new artist category and recently claimed the top spot in the 'Trend Awards 2024' artist category announced by Shibuya109 lab, sweeping various charts.

Meanwhile, ILLIT is actively promoting their follow-up track 'Tick-Tack' from their second mini-album 'I'LL LIKE YOU'. The song's catchy melody and choreography have been well-received, with challenge videos amassing over 52 million views, sparking a short-form content craze.

Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr