ILLIT 1st Mini Album `SUPER REAL ME' [REAL ME Ver.]

by Illit

Overview

Having used 2023 to transform NewJeans into a flagship entity in the modern K-pop ecosystem, Hybe was undoubtedly keen to springboard another girl group in their wake: hotly anticipated newcomers ILLIT blend seamlessly into the wave with their debut mini-album, 2024's Super Real Me. Their debut single, "Magnetic" lands about as perfectly as a debut can -- its intoxicatingly light electro-pop follows gently from recent GGs like Odd Eye Circle and, of course, NewJeans, doused in video game-led sonics and led by a surprisingly weighty bassline. But what really drives "Magnetic" is its absolute earworm of a hook -- at once dainty, wry, and addicting -- and its play on the "U" shape of the magnet is a subtly brilliant touch. Of the B-sides, "Midnight Fiction" is the immediate winner, keeping the featherweight sonics and bassline grooves flowing, but equally offering the girls' voices the chance to weave and layer amid nostalgia-inducing melodies. The bubbling funk of "My World" makes for an equally fun opener (though its sub-two-minute track length feels like somewhat of a missed opportunity), while the TikTok trend-titled "Lucky Girl Syndrome," a little more derivative in its synth choices, brings an uplifting and succinct end to the project. The mini-album's only real downside comes with its length; at an absurdly short nine minutes, there's very little time here for the group to build an initial identity, let alone deliver substantial individual performances. It'll be intriguing to see how far ILLIT deviate from this light-touch approach in future releases, but for now, Super Real Me proves a cohesive, succinct, and addictive debut. ~ David Crone

Product Details

Release Date:	04/26/2024
Label:	Belift Lab
UPC:	0196922860416
Rank:	3358

Tracks

1. My World
2. Magnetic
3. Midnight Fiction
4. Lucky Girl Syndrome

Album Credits

Performance Credits

ILLIT   Primary Artist
Lara Andersson   Vocals (Background)
Albin Tengblad   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Annika Bennett   Guitar
Minju   Vocals (Background)
Se. A   Vocals (Background)
Stella Jones   Vocals (Background)
Martin   Keyboards,Synthesizer
WONHEE   Vocals (Background)
YUNAH   Vocals (Background)
Bang Si Hyuk AKA "Hitman" Bang   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Ajay Bhattacharya   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Elin Bergman   Vocals (Background)
Slow Rabbit   Keyboards,Synthesizer

Technical Credits

Slow Rabbit   Digital Editing,Arranger,Composer,Engineer,Programming
Stint   Composer
Ju Hwan Noh   Composer
January 8th   Composer
Lara Andersson   Composer
Albin Tengblad   Composer,Drum Programming
Shin Kung   Composer
Alna Hofmeyr   Composer
Vincenzo   Composer,Digital Editing,Vocal Arrangement,Composer
Danke   Composer,Composer
Annika Bennett   Composer
Hyun Wook Ryu   Composer
Salem Ilese   Composer
Oh Heung Seon   Composer
Bo Eun Kim   Composer
Kim Kiwi   Composer
Ellie Suh   Composer
Sophie McBurnie   Composer
Bora Choi   Composer
Stella Jones   Composer
Suji Kim   Composer
Oh Hyun Sun   Composer
Yeoreum Mun   Composer
Ryu Hyeonu   Composer
Lee Lee Jin   Composer
Joohwan Noh   Composer
Na Do Yeon   Composer
Cha Ri   Composer
Kim Bo Eun   Composer
"Hitman" Bang   Composer
Martin   Composer,Programming
Moon Ji Young   Composer
Yi Yi Jin   Composer
James   Composer
Rob Kinelski   Mixing Engineer
Marcus Andersson   Composer
Josh Gudwin   Mixing Engineer
Ji Young Moon   Composer
James Cunningham   Assistant
Marcus Anderson   Composer
Bang Si Hyuk AKA "Hitman" Bang   Composer,Programming
Ajay Bhattacharya   Engineer,Programming
Anthony Dolhai   Engineer
James F. Reynolds   Mixing Engineer
Lauren Aquilina   Composer
Elin Bergman   Composer