The group ILLIT rode the reverse-run craze of "NOT CUTE ANYMORE" to return to music show stages, proving their widespread popularity.
ILLIT (Yun-a, Min-ju, Moka, Won-hee, Iroha) appeared on Mnet's "M Countdown," which aired on Jan. 8, and performed the single album 1 "NOT CUTE ANYMORE." Backed by the enthusiastic support of music fans around the world, it was a music show stage shown about a month after their official activities ended.
ILLIT's more relaxed performance stood out. They amplified the song's dreamy atmosphere with deeper expressiveness and made it impossible to look away with delicate dance lines within restrained movements. The straight-faced acting that matched the lyric "I'm not cute anymore" was the highlight of the stage that day. Fans loudly shouted ILLIT's name throughout the performance, heating up the venue.
The performances of Yun-a, Won-hee and Iroha as special MCs also shone. They not only wore outfits that evoked the little match girl from a fairy tale and showed off adorable visuals, but they also led the live broadcast smoothly with lively hosting. The three presented a skit that showed their perfect chemistry and skillfully handled interviews with the performing artists, creating a pleasant atmosphere.
The presence of "NOT CUTE ANYMORE" on domestic and international music charts has grown over time. The song ranked 10th on the latest U.S. Billboard chart (Jan. 10) in the Bubbling Under Hot 100 and is eyeing entry into the main song chart, the Hot 100. It also steadily climbed the Melon daily chart to as high as 18th (Jan. 7).
It is encouraging that "NOT CUTE ANYMORE" is being used as the background music for the worldwide "hood job shot" challenge and is increasingly used in short-form content. The song's "Sped up" version ranked 4th and 3rd on TikTok's "Top 50" and "Viral 50" charts, respectively (Jan. 2), demonstrating undying popularity.
Meanwhile, ILLIT placed two songs, "Magnetic" (mini album 1) and "Do the Dance" (mini album 3), on Melon's 2025 year-end chart released by Melon on Jan. 8, showing a powerful presence. In particular, their debut song "Magnetic" drew attention by charting for a second consecutive year after ranking eighth last year.
[Photo] Belift Lab Inc., Mnet's "M Countdown" capture
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