The group ILLIT boasted even stronger live skills.
ILLIT (Yoonah, Minju, Moca, Wonhee, Iroha) appeared on the YouTube channel "THE FIRST TAKE" on the 15th and delivered their first original Japanese song "Almond Chocolate" as a one-take live.
"THE FIRST TAKE" is a popular Japanese music channel with more than 11 million subscribers. Its unedited filming method allows focus solely on the artist's natural voice and song, earning praise from global fans.
ILLIT presented "Almond Chocolate" in an acoustic version, adding emotion to the original song's sweet atmosphere. Over the lyrical guitar melody, ILLIT's clear vocal timbre stood out even more, and the members showcased their vocal abilities with delicate dynamics. Wonhee drew attention by skillfully handling the song's highlight three-step high note.
Earlier, ILLIT's one-take live video of their debut song "Magnetic" released by "THE FIRST TAKE" was also a hot topic. They arranged it in a stylish city pop version, revealing a different charm. This song, with ILLIT's distinct clear and pure voices combined with relaxed emotion, captivated listeners' ears. The video entered both Korea and Japan's YouTube "Weekly popular music videos top 100" (counting period Oct. 3–9) shortly after its release as word of mouth spread.
Fans poured out praise such as "The five members all have different vocal colors, but they harmonize well," "The members' vocals are really attractive in the rearranged version," and "ILLIT's growth rate is so fast it's surprising."
ILLIT's popularity in Japan is hot. "Magnetic" and "Almond Chocolate" ranked 58th and 80th respectively on Billboard Japan's 2025 first-half chart for the comprehensive song chart "Hot 100." ILLIT is the only K-pop artist to have two songs enter that chart. Also, "Almond Chocolate" surpassed 50 million streams five months after its release and earned a "gold" certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan at the fastest pace among foreign artists who released songs this year.
They officially debuted locally in Japan last September with their first Japanese single "Toki Yo Tomare" (original title 時よ止まれ/Toki Yo Tomare) and performed on various popular music shows, variety programs and large festivals. In addition, they proved their mainstream popularity by selling out all four performances of the fan concert "2025 ILLIT GLITTER DAY IN JAPAN" held in August and September.
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