Illit drops a visual ‘Bomb’
Illit has always been eye-catching and a fashion standout since their debut. With their third mini album, “Bomb,” they show no signs of letting up when it comes to making style statements.
At the press conference, the quintet sat behind a panel table with only their upper bodies visible, and yet they made sure overseas viewers stayed glued to their screens, thanks to the bold, chunky rings and jewelry the members wore.
It was hard to look away whenever they held their microphones because the jewelry demanded attention.
Moka probably took the cake with her apple-shaped ring, roughly the size of a lychee, perched boldly on her left pointer finger. This was originally worn by Wonhee during their earlier individual presentation. Moka injured her ring finger last month, so she had to wear a protector to prevent further strain. But even that was designed to look like a matryoshka doll, finishing off a playful look.
The girls wore matching lace pink dresses with white mid-thigh stockings for the press showcase held in Seoul last week and streamed online for the global press. The group is still obviously in the business of being cute, despite shedding the Lolita concept they had during their debut.
For “Bomb,” the group went for the cat concept for the title track “Do the Dance.”
Hybe chair Bang Si-hyuk was involved in the creative process for the title track. “He told us to reflect the aura of cute, pretty cats in the dance moves,” the group shared. The result is the cat stretch dance. It’s a combo of exaggeratedly cheeky choreography featuring nimble poses and paw-like movements.
Cat concept
“We have different concepts in this album, but for the title track, we try to express the cat concept,” said Wonhee. Their choreography for the title track includes their hands next to their ears, like cats.
Yunha explains that Korea has an expression, “like a borrowed cat,” used to describe someone who becomes unusually quiet or timid in unfamiliar settings or around strangers. Fittingly, the Korean title of “Do the Dance” is this exact expression.
The track is French house-inspired and captures the awkwardness and tension of a first date. The string arrangement is a sampling from the Japanese anime “The Five Star Stories,” and has catchy phrases like “Wiggle Meow” and even French lyrics. Members like Wonhee said that they had to learn a few phrases before performing the song.
Minju says that the songs are connected in this album. She further speaks about them through another track titled “Little Monster.”
“We all have moments where we feel anxious or uneasy deep down inside. So we chose to represent those troubling emotions as little monsters,” she said. “It’s about overcoming inner struggles and remembering the magic within you.”
Iroha added, “We believe that every girl in the real world can become a magical girl once she recognizes her own potential.”
Visual storytelling also extends to the album’s packaging with four versions, namely Gllit Bomb, Star Bomb, Magic Bomb, and Pink Bomb, each presenting a different facet of Illit’s identity.
