The group ILLIT appeared on Fuji TV's '2025 FNS Music Festival,' broadcast on the 10th, captivating local viewers with their signature fresh and lively performance.
'FNS Music Festival' is a major year-end special program where singers who have achieved notable results in the Japanese music market each year gather to perform with a live band. ILLIT was invited for a second consecutive year following last year. It was the result of successfully releasing their first original Japanese song, "Almond Chocolate," in February and carrying out an official debut promotion in Japan in September.
That day ILLIT caught attention as the first act to appear on the opening stage. They opened the program by leading the song known in Japan as the national Christmas carol "People Are Santa Claus (人がサンタクロス)" (Yumi Matsutoya), and all the other performers gathered beside them to sing the chorus along. This shows ILLIT's solidly established popular appeal among local popular artists.
"Almond Chocolate," filled with the five members' lovable charms, was unquestionably noteworthy. ILLIT showcased more relaxed vocal capabilities and sweetly colored the stage with a romantic atmosphere. Immediately after the broadcast, "ILLIT" remained in the real-time trending rankings on Japan's X (formerly Twitter) for several hours, proving the high interest of local fans.
ILLIT's reinterpretation of the hit song "Deatta Koro no Yō ni (出逢った頃のように)" by Japan's representative mixed-gender band Every Little Thing also drew attention. On various social media platforms, praise poured in, saying, "Their refreshing vocals and delicate sensibility stand out," and "The Korean members' Japanese pronunciation is proficient. Their practice shows."
ILLIT has been making its presence felt in various global year-end charts this year. "Almond Chocolate" ranked on major Japanese annual charts such as Billboard Japan's "Hot 100" and "Streaming Songs" charts, Line Music's "Overall top 100," and Apple Music Japan's "Top Songs of 2025." Their debut song "Magnetic" also achieved the unusual feat of appearing on charts alongside it due to its long-running popularity.
The tracks from mini album 3 "bomb," released in June and which swept domestic and international charts upon its release, were selected as "songs of the year" by prominent overseas media, making ILLIT's global influence tangible.
The title track "Borrowed Cat (Do the Dance)" was ranked 11th on the U.S. PopMatters' "The 15 Best K-Pop Songs of 2025," and the track "jellyous" was ranked 18th on British NME's "The 25 Best K-pop Songs of 2025."
After their strong showing at the 'FNS Music Festival,' ILLIT will appear on TBS's "CDTV Live! Live! Christmas Special" on the 15th, TBS's "The 67th Japan Record Awards" on the 30th, and NHK's "The 76th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen" on the 31st, sweeping Japan's year-end special broadcasts.
[Photo] Provided by Belift Lab Inc.
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