ILLIT Collaborates with HANA’s Jisoo and Momoka for “I Got Your Back”

Photo: ILLIT Official Japan X

Another K-Pop and J-Pop crossover happened through ILLIT’s “I got Your Back,” featuring Jisoo and Momoka of HANA, a Japanese girl group produced by Korean-Japanese rapper CHANMINA. After releasing the original Japanese version of “I Got Your Back” on July 26, the song’s Korean version came out on August 16. With both artists performing the song on M!COUNTDOWN last week, the song marks HANA’s first Korean collaboration and performance on any Korean music show. 

About HANA 

Consisting of Jisoo, Momoka, Chika, Naoko, Koharu, Yuri, and Mahina, HANA released their first single album, ROSE, on April 23, 2025. With influence from CHANMINA, their music blends hip-hop and R&B within the J-Pop industry. Jisoo is the sole Korean member of the group, and Momoka was a former contestant on PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS, the show that formed the group ME:I. 

HANA came from the Japanese survival show No No Girls, a show that wanted to create a group from aspiring talents who faced past barriers and insecurities while trying to enter the music industry. According to the show’s Spotify profile, No No Girls touted the motto, “We don’t need your height, weight, or age. Just show us your voice and your life.” CHANMINA served as the show’s producer and collaborated with BMSG, a label created by Japanese rapper SKY-HI, to bring No No Girls to life. Drawing from her own experiences of repeated rejection in the music industry, CHANMINA wanted to give any individual a chance to be in a girl group. No No Girls ran from October 4, 2024 to January 10, 2025 on YouTube. 

“I Got Your Back” 

“I Got Your Back” has the elements of quirkiness that fans have come to expect from ILLIT. As its name implies, this vibrant pop-rock song encourages listeners to embrace their supportive networks when setbacks arise in life. Jisoo and Momoka’s rap sections introduce a different style from what is normally heard in most ILLIT songs. As Jisoo and Momoka also participate in the choreography and in the music video, this collaboration includes both groups equally. 

The music video takes influences from the Sailor Moon series and various Kaiju movies, most clearly from Godzilla. Much like how the Sailor Guardians band together to defeat their enemies, ILLIT and HANA want everyone to apply this mentality towards future obstacles. People should never face these challenges alone—and this collaboration proves the point.