ILY:1 Switches Up Their Sound In Their 2nd Digital Single “IMMM”

Ara, Elva, Nayu, Hana, Rona, and Ririka are back on the scene with their second digital single “IMMM.” Listeners will remember Stone Entertainment’s girl group ILY:1 for the charismatic, nostalgic second-generation-esque sound. It doesn’t take much more than a second of listening to this track to realize that it’s far from your average ILY:1 release. 

“IMMM” offers a more modern sound for the group that hits like “My Color” and with its funky, dance-pop backbeat, cleverly confident lyrics, and tons of other elements that breathe an air of newness to ILY:1’s much-anticipated comeback. The lyrics to “IMMM” — which is short for “I MY ME MINE” — resemble the sort of girl-boss energy that can never really get old amongst listeners. Lines like “I am the one and only one/Today, I'm the most beautiful” drive home the confident aura around the song and do well to complement the electric instrumentals. It makes for the perfect pump-up song for anyone looking for a confidence boost.

While they may have surprised fans by showing off their ability to tackle a completely different music style, it was no surprise that the girls of ILY:1 delivered strong vocals throughout the track. Much like in their most popular track “Love in Bloom,” this new release features great singing moments. High notes from the group’s main vocalist Nayu were certainly a highlight of the three minute long track, along with an exciting dual rapping section from Hana and Elva. The combination of clever lyrics, outstanding vocals, and the new vibe that the instrumentals bring to the group makes “IMMM” a solid track to introduce ILY:1 to a wider audience and give long-time listeners a delightful treat of a listen.

Performance Video

Stone Entertainment is using this comeback to revamp the ILY:1’s concept to fit into the new Y2K-inspired trend of most fifth-generation idol groups of the day — both in music and aesthetics. The performance video for “IMMM” complements the group’s newfound sound by placing the members in what looks like an abandoned warehouse wearing denim and cool earth tones. Instead of the extravagant music sets and girly-pop outfits that ILY:1 fans saw in music videos like “Twinkle, Twinkle,” this performance video showcases the girls in more casual, early-00s fashions that lie with the interaction between stylish and functional. 

ILY:1 clearly put in tons of hours working hard in the practice room as this performance video shows how the group’s dancing skills have greatly improved. The choreography is energetic and much more complicated than prior comebacks. Luckily each member pulled it off the dance with a confident ease and made a great impression in the return to K-Pop.  

Edited by Cara Musashi