ILLIT made a sneaky Japanese debut with a soundtrack track, although their 2024 mega-hit Magnetic was additionally omnipresent in Japan. Like fellow HYBE artists TWS and BOYNEXTDOOR, their sound feels tailored for J-pop so it’s good to listen to them leaning into that on new single Toki Yo Tomare.
After being considerably hesitant about ILLIT final 12 months, I absolutely boarded the prepare with this June’s Do The Dance. The group features a lot better in a frothy, upbeat soundscape with increased tempos and sugary hooks. Fortunately, Toki Yo Tomare builds on this strategy. Whereas it misses the addictive French home affect of Do The Dance, its bounding percussion and curler rink prepared instrumental serve the same objective. The track coasts alongside these good vibes right through, providing a buoyant near this 12 months’s summer time season.
Whereas Toki Yo Tomare‘s melodies are very good, they err nearer to “generic” than the group’s finest work. You could possibly simply hear this track delivered by many different lady teams, which dulls its presence only a bit. I might have liked to listen to the manufacturing lean in a extra symphonic route and the efficiency tackle a quirkier air. However in terms of uptempo lady group pop, we’re not precisely spoiled for selection in the mean time. I’ll gladly take this.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Manufacturing | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
Grade: B