ILLIT’s “It’s Me” Wins Again as the Group Turns Viewers’ Attention to Its Real-World Dorm Life

ILLIT scored a third music show win with “It’s Me” on SBS’s Inkigayo in the June 14 episode, while the group simultaneously ramped up interest in its off-stage world via a first-ever look inside its dorm on MBC’s The Manager. The back-to-back developments underscore how K-pop promotion increasingly blends chart performance with lifestyle storytelling—turning what happens between stages into part of the campaign itself.

On Inkigayo, ILLIT competed for first place against I.O.I’s “Suddenly” and aespa’s “LEMONADE,” ultimately taking the top spot with a total of 5,168 points. “It’s Me” has been steadily building momentum through repeated live-show wins, and this latest trophy adds to the growing sense that the track remains a dominant force in the current broadcast cycle.

Third trophy, same prize: momentum on broadcast stages

ILLIT’s win on Inkigayo matters not only for the symbolic value of a third trophy, but also for what it signals to industry observers: sustained audience and fan engagement across multiple music-show formats. According to the Inkigayo rundown, the June 14 lineup of performance candidates included major current acts, with the show featuring stages from groups such as SHINee, BABYMONSTER, TREASURE, and others.

The program’s win calculation put ILLIT ahead despite strong competition from two high-recognition releases. That context—where chart and viewership strength are measured against other headline songs in the same week—suggests ILLIT’s performance remains consistently competitive rather than peaking briefly.

On the same broadcast, viewers also saw a mix of established and newer names, including SHINee’s “Atmos,” BABYMONSTER’s “SUGAR HONEY ICE TEA,” and TREASURE’s “IF I.” The presence of these widely followed groups adds weight to ILLIT’s win by placing it within a crowded, mainstream prime-time K-pop environment.

“The Manager” preview: dorm life becomes a promotional asset

While Inkigayo delivered the on-stage result, The Manager offered something different: intimacy. In a preview released June 13 for an upcoming episode, MBC viewers were given what the show describes as a first glimpse into ILLIT’s dorm—with the members’ everyday routines and personal quirks placed at the center of the narrative.

The preview begins with the panel reacting to the atmosphere of Wonhee’s room and quickly pivots to a distinctive detail: her large collection of Sylvanian Families (also known as Calico Critters). The exchange highlights how the show’s format works—using a recognizable hobby or personal signature to humanize idols beyond choreography and music-show performances.

In another segment, Wonhee calls her dad to ask whether she thinks the group can win first place next week. Her father’s response frames the competition realistically—mentioning that “CORTIS” might be too strong—prompting Wonhee to joke, “Dad, do something about it.” The playful conversation, rather than sounding like a formal press moment, reads as a family-style check-in tied to the pressure of broadcast wins.

Where “real life” meets performance pressure

Taken together, the two stories—ILLIT’s Inkigayo victory and The Manager’s dorm reveal—illustrate a larger trend in modern K-pop media strategy: performance success is only one part of sustaining viewer attention. The second part is creating continuity between stages and personal space, so fans feel closer to the people behind the songs.

The preview also shows members meeting up with Boom to film a challenge, implying that the group’s promotional push is not limited to music programs. Instead, it stretches across multiple content formats, each offering different “reasons to watch”: trophies for one audience, personality and daily life for another.

For viewers, these formats can reduce the distance between fandom and artistry. For ILLIT and their management, it helps convert a week’s worth of music-show excitement into longer-running engagement—encouraging fans to track not just chart outcomes, but also how members handle anticipation, nerves, and the routine of preparing for the next stage.

Upcoming episode and what fans will watch next

The Manager is scheduled to air on June 20 at 11:10 p.m. KST. With the dorm reveal positioned as a first-time highlight and the next-week win discussion already seeded in the preview, the episode is likely to focus on both logistics—preparation, filming schedules, and challenges—and the emotional reality of competing again immediately after a win.

Meanwhile, for ILLIT, the immediate question is how “It’s Me” will continue performing as the promotional cycle moves forward. After a third trophy on Inkigayo, the next music-show stages become a test: whether the momentum translates into additional wins, or whether the group faces stronger pushback as rival tracks adjust their own strategies.

Either way, this week’s pairing of broadcast victory and dorm-life transparency suggests ILLIT is leaning into a dual message to viewers: the song is still leading on stage—and the people behind it are staying close enough to feel familiar off-stage.