The group ILLIT has confirmed its appearance on Japan's biggest year-end music show, "Kohaku Uta Gassen," for the second consecutive year.
On the 14th, HYBE Music Group label Belift Lab Inc. said ILLIT (Yoonah, Minju, Moka, Wonhee, Iroha) was named to the lineup for the 76th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen.
ILLIT drew notable attention last year even before releasing an official album in Japan. Being the only fifth-generation K-pop group to appear on Kohaku Uta Gassen two years in a row makes the achievement more meaningful.
Kohaku Uta Gassen is NHK's signature year-end special broadcast every Dec. 31 that features singers who made major contributions over the year. Because it serves as a measure of local popularity, news of an appearance generates significant buzz.
Through the team's official social media, ILLIT said, "We are truly happy and honored to have this opportunity again after last year. We will show a performance that remains in your hearts for a long time." In addition to Kohaku Uta Gassen, ILLIT will appear on Fuji TV's 2025 FNS Music Festival on Jan. 10 to heat up Japan's year-end stages.
They achieved remarkable success in Japan this year. "Almond Chocolate," produced as the theme song for the Feb. film "I don't like it just by the face," surpassed 50 million cumulative streams within five months of its release and received the streaming "gold" certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan. It is the fastest record among songs by foreign artists released this year.
ILLIT made its official debut in Japan last Sept. with its first single "Toki Yo Tomare" (original title 時よ止まれ/Toki Yo Tomare), sweeping top positions on major music charts such as Oricon and Billboard Japan. Their fan concerts, "2025 ILLIT GLITTER DAY IN JAPAN," held four times across two Japanese cities, Kanagawa and Osaka, were sold out for every show. They also received consecutive invitations to major Japanese festival stages such as the 41st Mynavi Tokyo Girls Collection 2025 Autumn/Winter and Rock in Japan Festival 2025, proving their mainstream popularity.
Meanwhile, ILLIT will release its single album 1st album "NOT CUTE ANYMORE," a bold declaration that "we are no longer just cute," on the 24th. The new record includes two tracks: the title track of the same name as the single and the B-side "NOT ME."
[Photo] Provided by Belift Lab Inc.
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