The K-pop girl group ILLIT has ignited a passionate debate online following their recent encore performance on November 5, 2025, during KBS2’s music show, Music Bank. Celebrating their first win with the track “Not Cute Anymore,” the five-member group delivered a live rendition without a backing track, accompanied by minimal choreography. As clips of the performance circulated on social media, reactions varied dramatically among fans and critics alike.
Supporters of ILLIT took to Twitter to express their admiration for the group’s vocal abilities. Many highlighted the significant improvement in their live performance, with fans noting that the members sounded nearly identical to the studio version of the song. One user tweeted, “@ILLIT_official First Encore for ‘NOT CUTE ANYMORE’, they sound exactly the same as the studio version,” while another remarked on the group’s growth as one of the strongest fifth-generation groups vocally.
Conversely, a substantial contingent of netizens criticized the live vocals, labeling them as below average. Comparisons arose with other popular girl groups, stirring further division. Comments such as “this has to be setup cause they sound like literal goats” and “sooo what happened?! 5 words can’t be that hard?!” reflected the skepticism surrounding the group’s performance capabilities.
The backlash extended beyond the performance itself, with some fans directing their frustration towards HYBE, the group’s management company. Critics argued that the agency debuted the members without sufficient vocal training, exposing them to unwarranted criticism and potential mental strain. A user pointedly stated, “Y’all blaming the girls, but it’s HYBE’s fault for debuting them without proper training,” emphasizing the responsibility that management holds in shaping the careers of young artists.
As the discussion unfolds, it highlights the pressures faced by K-pop idols and the expectations placed upon them in a highly competitive industry. While some fans celebrate ILLIT‘s milestones, others raise valid concerns about the industry’s treatment of artists, particularly those who may not yet have honed their skills to meet public expectations.
The ongoing debate encapsulates the complexities of fandom culture, where praise and critique coexist in a digital landscape. As ILLIT continues their career, the path forward will undoubtedly involve navigating both the highs of success and the lows of public scrutiny.
