Song Review: ILLIT: bomb- Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance)

• Release date: 2025 June 16

• Album tracklist: little monster, Billyeoon goyangi (Do the Dance), jellyous, oops! bamsopoong

• Album runtime: 13 minutes

 ILLIT, I'm delighted to say, had all members at least sixteen or older at debut and now, a year later, they have all members as adults other than the maknae. I'm inclined to encourage this on principle. I do however have to say that I've enjoyed their music so far, which is nice. Plus, they're a March debut and my first five groups were (quite by chance) also March debuts (NU'EST, BTOB, NINE.i, xikers, Stray Kids), which is hilarious. I obviously have an affinity for them. The only good news about the runtime is that the title track is over three minutes, so, sadly, it could be worse and this is a step in the correct direction for HYBE. Bare minimum has been achieved.

The combination of the classic movie vibes (which aren't just trapped in the intro so thumbs up from me for that) and the electro pop, synthy elements actually sounds really good together. It's a compelling blend of modern and classic that I think is pretty effective. I wish here was a little more variation, in each of the sections not the song as a whole because that has a satisfactory level of variations between the parts. No, I'm mostly concerned with the internal structure of the individual sections and the apparent lack of variation within them. Once you hear one of them, there isn't really a surprise the next time that part shows up. It's a shame, but it's also not really a deal breaker because this combination reminds me a little of Wonder Girls. Not by sound, by idea? If that makes sense?

My two biggest frustrations with the vocals are the somewhat unsupported vocals through much of the song (fine for a b-side, less so for a title track if they're going to have any kind of powerful choreography), and the obnoxious repetition of the "chorus". I hesitate to call it that, because it's just vocalizations without meaning, wasting the valuable space given to it by the three minute runtime. As far as the first goes, it prohibits the members from properly flexing their voices. We get hints of it, and I know that ILLIT has both potential and stronger moments. Generally, I like them. This one reminds me of that accursed AI Seventeen cover of Magnetic, and then used as a joke by Wonwoo himself. For the second, if you're going to have a chorus that is nonsense like that, you're running the risk that this isn't another Ring Ding Dong. That remains one of the best examples of a nonsense chorus in k-pop because it manages to be an absolute earworm, matches the rest of the song, and has fun and infectious choreography. I can't speak to the last yet on this song. Other than those frustrations, which have absolutely nothing to do with the members and everything to do with the songwriters/producers, I do actually kind of like this song. It won't end up a top listen of the year, and because of that chorus, I suppose it could swing either way on how much I like it after some time, but that's not something I can predict very well (Bouncy by ATEEZ took almost a year to win me over, and while I can't say that I love it beyond reason, it's still moved up quite a bit).

So I'm pleased that they did in fact have French in here. Also, I'm going to leave the above sections as is, but I'm revising it from chorus to post-chorus, which is something I'm glad exists, but still don't like. Okay. I've just got to say that there are some sections of the choreography that are gorgeous. And this music video? It's so weird in the best way. Starts off kind of weird, and then gets very weird, and then it tames itself back down, which is a little bit of a disappointment because it should have been pushed further and committed, but this will do. This is fun. No but seriously, that choreography looks incredible.