ILLIT Teams Up With Little Mimi Again for 'BREAK EVEN'

K-POP girl group ILLIT is teaming up with the character Little Mimi for a second time. A Little Mimi version of the group's fifth EP, "BREAK EVEN," will be released on the 30th of next month.

BELIFT LAB, ILLIT's label under HYBE Music Group, shared the news on the 6th. Little Mimi is a longtime steady seller among character brands in South Korea.

The album comes in the form of a Little Mimi doll keyring. Along with the doll, the package includes a mini CD, a lyric sheet, three photocards and stickers. Fans get the music and the merch in one item.

It is the group's second release with the character. The first was the Little Mimi version of ILLIT's first single album, "NOT CUTE ANYMORE," which became a big hit last year.

This time, the doll draws on the "black agent" concept of the EP's title track, "Chepohagesseo" (Korean for "I'll arrest you").

"We added details like ribbons and frills to the look of ILLIT as 'black agents' in the music video," BELIFT LAB said. "If you pair it with the whistle keyring and charm released earlier as album merch, you can style it your own way. Please show a lot of interest in the Little Mimi version, which is made for listening to the music and also for collecting."

Merch albums have become a signature part of every ILLIT release, and each one tends to get people talking. The group has gone well beyond doll keyrings. Its third EP came with in-ear earphones. Its fourth EP included a ceramic gua sha piece, a flat tool used for facial massage.

The items were picked to match the interests of fans in their teens and 20s. Moving between music, fashion and beauty, they drew a strong response.

The Little Mimi version of "NOT CUTE ANYMORE" sold out early during the preorder period, and more copies had to be made. The members also performed in outfits that matched the doll, which gave fans something fun and different.

Preorders for the Little Mimi version of "BREAK EVEN" are open now through online album retailers. For ILLIT, an album is no longer just something to play. It is also something fans clip to a bag and carry with them.