ILLIT just held a funeral for their signature concept. There’s literally a pink tombstone in the music video that reads “CUTE IS DEAD.” Subtle? No. Effective? Absolutely.
This is the group’s first single album, dropped on 24 November 2025, and it’s probably the biggest curveball they’ve thrown since debut.
Anyone expecting another “Magnetic”-style hyper-pop banger is in for a surprise. “NOT CUTE ANYMORE” strips back to basics: a reggae-pop bassline, lo-fi beat, minimal production. The whole thing sounds like ILLIT wandered into a coffeehouse and decided to stay.
Minju and Yunah open the track with this cool detachment that sets the tone immediately. Their vocals sit right in the pocket, not pushing, just existing in the space the production leaves for them.
Wonhee really gets to shine here too, her voice fits this relaxed tempo better than their previous material ever let on.
The chorus is almost aggressively simple: “I’m not cute anymore.” Just that, over and over. No vocal gymnastics, no ad-libs trying to convince you. They’ve made their point.
The lyrics are tongue-in-cheek. Preferring jellyfish to puppies? Not liking cherry coke? It’s all a bit random, which somehow makes it feel more genuine than if they’d tried to write some deep lyrics about growing up.
There’s a line about five-minute perfect makeup tutorials that feels very 2025, very TikTok-core, and Wonhee arguing with a police officer in the MV is genuinely one of the year’s best visual moments in K-pop.
Speaking of the video, it looks rather fun. Sports car chases, pink monsters, costume changes that veer into camp territory, and then these completely blank-faced dance breaks where ILLIT just refuses to give you the cute expressions you’re probably expecting.
One scene has a member absolutely towering over city streets like Godzilla. The whole visual feels like someone gave the creative team a bigger budget and less supervision.
The choreography looks rather simple, but it works with the controlled, almost bored-looking movements. Head tilts in unison, minimal gestures. It’s the anti-thesis of their previous work, and you can tell it’s intentional.
Here’s what might throw people: this sounds nothing like their discography up to now. If you’re listening for that first time, waiting for the track to explode into something bigger, it never does.
The production, handled by Jasper Harris, Sasha Alex Sloan, and Youra, keeps everything tight and sparse. There’s classical elements buried in there, slight reggae influence in the rhythm.
Fans of “Pimple” might recognise some of this territory, ILLIT have dabbled with more subdued sounds before, but “NOT CUTE ANYMORE” takes that concept to another level.
ILLIT aren’t the first K-pop group to try this mature sound, but they’re selling it better than most rookies would.
The Ashley Williams collab (British fashion brand) gives the whole thing this quirky visual identity, kitschy patterns, weird accessories.
Now, cards on the table: this song is short. Too short, really. It fades out right when it should be building to something bigger.
No bridge, no final push, just… done. Maybe that’s the vibe they wanted, leave you wanting more, very “cool girl” energy.
But I believe fans would be genuinely annoyed as there’s not another 45 seconds here. Yunah described it as Pyongyang naengmyeon during press rounds (that cold noodle dish that tastes bland at first but gets addictive), which is actually spot-on. This isn’t a song that grabs you immediately.
What ILLIT are doing here is risky. Their core fanbase loved the bright, energetic stuff. “NOT CUTE ANYMORE” might alienate those listeners completely.
But props to them for trying something different rather than running “Magnetic” into the ground with five variations.
Whether this becomes their new sound or just a one-off experiment, I don’t know. Right now, it’s a solid single that shows range.
Perfect for December playlists when you want something chill but still K-pop.
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