The group ILLIT's "Almond Chocolate" is experiencing an unusual rise in popularity in Japan.
According to Apple Music Japan on the 2nd, ILLIT's "Almond Chocolate" rose to 8th place in the latest "weekly song ranking" (aggregate period March 24–30). This is the highest rank ever for a K-pop group's first original song in Japan. Released on February 14, "Almond Chocolate" entered the chart at 56th (March 10–16), then rose to 23rd (March 17–23) and jumped to 8th. The song is the only one by a K-pop girl group to make it into the "top 10" in a chart filled with music from popular local artists like Mrs. GREEN APPLE and timelesz.
"Almond Chocolate" reached its highest rank of 12th and 23rd respectively in the Oricon "weekly streaming ranking" and "weekly digital single ranking" (as of April 7), both announced on the same day. This is also the highest rank for a song by a K-pop girl group currently listed on these two charts. Additionally, it significantly climbed the Billboard Japan "streaming song" chart, moving from 60th (as of March 19) to 33rd (as of March 26) and up to 16th (as of April 2).
In the daily charts, where current music trends can be quickly identified, ILLIT's rising popularity is even more pronounced. "Almond Chocolate" began at 94th (as of March 7) on the LINE MUSIC daily chart and recently soared to 5th (as of March 31). It is an unusual situation where the song, over a month after its release, is showing signs of a ranking "reverse surge" as it aims for the top.
As local music broadcasts and performances generate buzz, it seems that their popularity has gained momentum. The melody that evokes a poignant sentiment, combined with ILLIT's unique charming and confident appeal, has struck a chord with Japanese music fans. Various short-form platforms have also contributed to this, with the "Almond Chocolate" challenge generating buzz. The "Almond Chocolate (Sped Up)" version reached 5th place in the TikTok Japan music chart, marking the highest rank among international artists.
Meanwhile, ILLIT is preparing for their first fan concert in Korea and Japan, titled "2025 ILLIT GLITTER DAY." They will meet fans on June 7–8 at the Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Songpa District, Seoul, and on August 10–11 and September 3–4 at Pia Arena MM in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, respectively.
[Photo] Belift Lab
[OSEN]