Controversy Surrounding ILLIT’s Image as a ‘Teen Beauty’ Standard

In an online community, the thread dedicated to showcasing ILLIT’s accomplishments has garnered a variety of responses from netizens.

ILLIT Praised By K-Media For Being 'Teen Beauty' Standard — But Gets Accused Of 'Media Play' — (Photo : Twitter: @ILLIT_official)

Controversy Surrounding ILLIT’s Standard for ‘Teen Beauty’

Since its debut on March 25 with the mini album “SUPER REAL ME”and title track “Magnetic,”ILLIT has solidified its position as one of the top leaders in the fifth generation and has been deemed worthy of the title “monster rookies.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk5-c_v4gMU

ILLIT (아일릿) ‘Magnetic’ Official MV (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk5-c_v4gMU)

The five-member group has been able to captivate the K-pop community with their music, visuals, and chemistry, which is evident in their overwhelming success on music charts, programs, and coverage from international media.

Despite facing some challenges, the group has pushed through, with netizens criticizing their live encore performances for their singing abilities. In addition, they have been heavily compared to fellow HYBE group NewJeans, with netizens pointing out similarities in their youthful concept, appeal, and other aspects.

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This was further exacerbated when a prominent figure in the K-pop industry openly addressed the accusations of plagiarism. Min Hee Jin, the CEO of ADOR, called a press conference to share her perspective on the ongoing dispute between HYBE and ADOR, resulting in unforeseen conflicts among fandoms.

In the midst of the company chaos, ILLIT and other HYBE groups refused to give up and persisted forward.

On May 1, a group of netizens came together in an online forum called “Super Magnetic’ How ILLIT Became The Beauty Standard For Teens.”

The author shared a Korean news outlet’s report in the forum, which discussed ILLIT’s influence on teenage beauty and the worldwide popularity of “Magnetic”. According to the report, ILLIT’s visuals and styling were one of the main contributing factors to its viral success.

“According to the source, ILLIT’s stage presence, described as ‘super real,’ ignited a feeling of ‘aspirational beauty’ among their peers of the same age.”

Additionally, the outlet highlighted how member Moka’s styling has become a preferred choice among beauty enthusiasts.

According to the statement, Moka’s styling quickly gained popularity among beauty creators. Her impressive performance of ‘hedore’ styling (using lace fabric and a bow as a headband) during a music show gained a lot of attention, with her fancam reaching over one million views.

It was noted, “Her styling gained recognition for its resemblance to the popular teenage character Cinnamon Roll, and Moka’s Cinnamon Roll Challenge received over 5.5 million views.”

Despite this, the report received a variety of responses from netizens. While some expressed their agreement with the excellence of “Magnetic,”others made accusations of “media play.”Here are their reactions:

“Well, their song is indeed good though.”

“Where? The media play is so seriously messy.”

“Let’s just wait and see what happens since they won’t be able to escape the ‘copycat’ label.”

“They’re so disgusting with the media play.”

“Rather than ILLIT becoming the new beauty standard, it’s more like they have the look that teens currently like.”

“Oh, they are starting again. I’m not buying this.”

“I feel bad for the fans who really love them. They’re treated like copycats and are getting hate for the media play, so their fans would have to endure it all.”

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