ILLIT Achieves 100 Million Streams in Japan

Illit achieves a significant milestone, surpassing 100 million streams in Japan with their first Japanese single, “Almond Chocolate,” as reported by Oricon on Wednesday. This achievement highlights the rising popularity of the K-pop group in the Japanese music market.

The track reached this impressive milestone on Oricon’s Weekly Streaming Ranking, marking it as the group’s second song to exceed 100 million plays on the chart. Previously, their hit “Magnetic” accumulated over 300 million streams, further solidifying Illit’s presence in Japan.

Released in February of last year, “Almond Chocolate” was specifically produced as the theme song for the film “It Takes More Than a Pretty Face to Fall in Love.” The song garnered attention for its sentimental and delicate melody, coupled with the group’s distinct and clear vocal delivery. Its popularity was further boosted by performances on various Japanese music programs.

Since its release, the song’s popularity has remained consistently strong. Within approximately five months, it achieved Gold certification in the streaming category from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for surpassing 50 million plays. “Almond Chocolate” also secured a spot on numerous year-end charts, including the prestigious Billboard Japan Year-End Charts.

Adding to their accolades, the track also won the Excellence Award at the Japan Record Awards, making it the first Japanese original song by a K-pop group to receive such an honor. This award signifies the significant impact and artistic merit of Illit’s “Almond Chocolate” in the Japanese music industry.

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