ILLIT Turns Pressure Into Confidence: "No One Will Watch Us Just Once"

K-POP Girl group ILLIT is back, and the members say the pressure that followed their last hit became a source of motivation.

The group held a media showcase on Oct. 26 for its fifth EP, "BREAK EVEN," at Woori WON Banking Hall at Blue Square in Seoul's Hannam-dong neighborhood. The EP will be released on music platforms at 6 p.m. KST the same day.

"BREAK EVEN" tells the story of someone who pours their heart into a crush, only to realize that the feelings are one-sided and reach a turning point in the relationship. The album uses the concept of a break-even point to explore the imbalance between the feelings given and received.

"It feels amazing and exciting that we're already releasing our fifth EP," member Minju said. Yunah described the title track, "You're Under Arrest," as a song that makes ILLIT's signature catchiness even stronger.

The electro-pop track features upbeat whistle sounds and sharp synths. It frames the experience of mistaking someone's habitual kindness for romantic interest as an arrest operation. The narrator presents the actions that caused the misunderstanding as "evidence of a crime" and resolves to stop investing her feelings and time in that person.

"I'm happy we get to show something new with every comeback," Yunah said. "Since the song has such a clear concept, we paid attention to every detail, from recording to choreography."

ILLIT's previous release, "It's Me," topped domestic music charts after its release in April.

"Since this comeback follows 'It's Me,' which received so much love, we wanted to show an even better side of ourselves," Wonhee said. "We prepared this album with so much conviction and confidence that I could call it my favorite."

Minju also spoke about the pressure that followed the song's success.

"Because we received so much love, there was pressure to do even better," she said. "But that pressure became positive motivation. We practiced harder to repay the love we received and wanted to show how we've grown."

Iroha said she felt more excitement than pressure.

"More than pressure, I felt excited to show our new music and performances as soon as possible," she said. "Building on the confidence and experience we gained from 'It's Me,' we've grown as performers. I want to show our different charms."

Before the comeback, ILLIT held encore concerts at INSPIRE Arena in Incheon on Oct. 17 and 18, where the group performed the new song for fans. Iroha injured her ankle during a rehearsal for the shows.

"I'm sorry for worrying so many fans, and I'm grateful for their concern," she said. "I'm working hard on my recovery. I'll recover as quickly as I can so I can show you more great performances during these promotions."

The group is promoting with four members. Moka has been on hiatus since June because of health issues.

"While preparing this comeback, we really felt Moka's absence. We were sad because we thought this concept would have suited her so well, too," Minju said. "Moka has been keeping up with our comeback content and cheering us on, telling us we all look great. Although we're promoting with four members this time, we'll do our best to fill the stage for Moka, too."

Iroha said Moka is eager to return to fans."Moka is working hard to recover because she really wants to be back with the fans," she said. "Recently, we all got together and talked about what kind of music we want to make. We'd be grateful if you could wait until she returns."

The new album also includes references to the group's earlier releases.

"Episodes from our previous albums are woven into the lyrics here and there," Wonhee said. "People who have kept listening to ILLIT's songs will recognize them. There are fun details to discover, like spotting foreshadowing in a drama."

Minju also shared producer Bang Si-hyuk's reaction to the album.

"We were abroad a lot while preparing the album, so we didn't get to meet producer Bang Si-hyuk in person," she said. "But I heard he said the recording had turned out exceptionally well. Hearing that gave us more confidence as we prepared the album."

Actor Song Kang makes a surprise appearance in the music video for "You're Under Arrest."

"We met him on the set, and he told us he's been following our work and gave us a lot of encouragement," Yunah said. "I'd like to take this opportunity to thank him."

ILLIT plans to continue exploring different sounds and concepts while maintaining its identity.

"The 'ILLIT core' I have in mind isn't confined to a single mold," Yunah said. "Just as our name means we can become anything and makes people look forward to what we'll become, I think every side of ILLIT you're seeing now is ILLIT core. We'll keep showing different sides of ourselves without limits and broaden our range."

Asked about making their comeback around the same time as several other girl groups, Wonhee said she was looking forward to promoting alongside them.

"It's an honor to come back alongside such great artists. I think that in itself will be a fun experience for K-POP fans," she said. "We're also excited about getting to see performances by different groups."

"Catchy music is ILLIT's strength," Wonhee added. "There's a saying that some people have never seen something, but no one has seen it just once. We'll work hard so that no one misses our performances and no one watches them just once. Please show us lots of interest."