ILLIT - bomb Review
By Lee
June 27, 2025
The magical girls are back with their 3rd EP, bomb.
ILLIT delivered with addictive hooks and dreamlike visuals in SUPER REAL ME. “Magnetic” showcased an unprecedented viral impact for a rookie group. Their next EP, I’LL LIKE YOU, successfully added to their discography with more dreamy dance tracks like “Cherish (My Love)” and “Tick-Tack.”
bomb starts with “little monster.” Heavy, haunting keys enter with a sudden sense of unease. Compared to previous tracks, “little monster” is darker both in sound and theme. The song speaks of monsters that bring anxiety and restlessness; the girls’ tone shifts when they realize that they are turning into monsters themselves from life’s stresses. They face their problems face-first by eating the monsters! The theme corresponds with a rocky rise to fame—a nuanced take on their dreamy, magical concept. “I don’t wanna know” is repeated in the chorus to highlight the feeling of being at odds with oneself. Despite the darker sound, the track achieves an ILLIT feel with bouncy lyrics and dancey instrumentation.
“Do the Dance” lifts the mood with whimsical strings and upright bass that pokes through and sets up the driving disco groove. The verse is sparse: “A fool, a fool, a, for you” gives a new texture with Moka’s filtered vocals. Then, Yunah glides into the tipping point—Iroha’s “dance, do a little, do, ah, do a little.” The playful line breathes a second of air into the quickly moving song. Now comes full-strength ILLIT with a catchy chorus and glitchy “do do do do.” The chorus ends with an “After LIKE”-style dance break that is the icing on the cake. Visually, the scene is grand with a desolate highway, impossible sky, and out-of-your-world choreography to match. I enjoyed this track’s attempt to reimagine classic Euro disco.
“jellyous” continues the party with an interesting instrumental that combines the edgy PlayStation 2-era drum and bass with 8-bit melodies. The lyrics are young and innocent, yet they contrast with the throwback gamer feel of the instrumental.
“oops!” is dancey and tries to be slick with a funky bassline and cheering call-and-response. It falls quickly in comparison to the drive of previous songs.
“bamsopoong” brings it back to the dreamy signature ILLIT. They paint a picture of a picnic with a purple sky full of stars and warm feelings. The five vocals blend well here. I appreciate the “na, na-na-na-na-na” for giving me time to enjoy the portrait that is created. Nice ending to the EP.
The strength of ILLIT lies in their lightheartedness. The songs are dreamy and sweet. The vocals are playful and bouncy. ILLIT DNA is prevalent. This EP successfully builds upon their world. The ILLITificaton of throwback sounds works well to serve both existing fans and new listeners.
Favorite Tracks: bamsopoong, Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance)