ILLIT Tops K-POPIT Board as Minju's "10 Minutes" Cover, Fortnite Emote Draw Attention

ILLIT has climbed to the top of the K-POPIT Board as the group continues to draw attention through individual content, new avenues of global exposure and their pending expansion of activities in Japan.

According to K-POPIT BOARD, the K-POP analytics index, ILLIT ranked No. 1 on the GLOBAL Rise Chart on September 7th with a Power Index (PWR_GL) score of 68. The Power Index combines data from music charts, social media activity and news coverage to measure an artist's overall momentum.

The ranking comes amidst a fresh wave of attention surrounding member Minju. On Sunday night (KST), ILLIT's official social media accounts shared a cover of Lee Hyori's 2003 hit "10 Minutes," with Minju placing her own spin on one of the most recognizable tracks of the early 2000s Korean pop scene.

The cover offered a different side of Minju from ILLIT's usual group releases, highlighting her vocal tone in a much softer way while also taking on a song closely associated with one of K-POP's defining solo stars. The cover also arrives as ILLIT continues to broaden its activities beyond its regular comeback cycle.

At the same time, ILLIT's music has recently found another route to potentially reach listeners outside of the group's existing audience as Fortnite recently added an emote featuring ILLIT's "It's Me" to the game. This places the track right in front of the title's global player base as with music-based emotes often circulating through gameplay clips and social media beyond an artist's established fandom. The collaboration provides another potential point of discovery for listeners who may not have previously encountered ILLIT or the song.

The group's international activities are expanding elsewhere as well. Earlier last week, BELIFT LAB announced that ILLIT will sing "Swingin' Magic," the opening theme for the second season of Japanese TV animation "Magical Sisters Lulutolily." Scheduled for release on September 21st, the track will also come alongside a Korean-language version.

"Swingin' Magic" is described as capturing the excitement of escaping everyday life and moving between dreams and reality. With elements of New Jack Swing, the members' vocals and harmonies are expected to complement the series' magical atmosphere.

The song also marks ILLIT's second consecutive collaboration with the animation after the group performed "Bubee," the opening theme for its first season. Their involvement further reflects ILLIT's growing presence in Japan, where the group has increasingly become a familiar voice across television, film and animation projects.

Taken together, ILLIT's recent momentum is coming from several directions at once. Minju's reinterpretation of "10 Minutes" is generating fresh individual attention, "It's Me" is reaching audiences through Fortnite, and the group's growing soundtrack portfolio continues to strengthen their presence in Japan. Their No. 1 position on the K-POPIT Board therefore comes during a period in which ILLIT is finding multiple ways to remain visible even outside of a traditional comeback.