"Iconic By Mistake," a collaboration by HYBE girl groups Le Sserafim, ILLIT and KATSEYE, has entered the UK Official Singles Chart Top 100 for five consecutive weeks, sustaining its momentum in the British market.
According to the Official Charts Company's Friday announcement, the track landed at No. 70 this week, dropping 11 spots from the previous week.
"Iconic By Mistake" is an alternative pop track built around a hard-hitting beat and unconventional sound. Its instantly catchy hook is paired with paradoxical lyrics about becoming iconic precisely because of being hated.
The song has drawn attention as an unusually ambitious project — not a simple feature, but a full collaboration in which three girl groups from three separate HYBE labels came together to release an official single. Le Sserafim is signed to Source Music, ILLIT to Belift Lab, and KATSEYE to HYBE-Geffen Records. Though all three operate under the HYBE umbrella, they differ in concept and target market. Le Sserafim has built global influence through consistent overseas touring and a worldwide fandom, ILLIT has established broad domestic recognition through strong performances on Korean streaming charts, and KATSEYE has expanded its reach primarily in North America and other overseas markets. The prospect of three groups with footholds in different markets uniting on a single track generated buzz well before the release.
Released June 12, the song hit the ground running. It debuted at No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 — the highest chart position of any K-pop girl group song released this year — and remained on the chart for two consecutive weeks. On the Billboard Global 200, it climbed to No. 23, a personal best. The track also claimed a No. 1 trophy on Mnet's "M Countdown," the only joint performance stage the three groups have shared.
Also notable on the same chart is "GOLDEN," a B-side from the soundtrack of the Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters. The song rose four spots to No. 49, marking its 56th consecutive week on the chart.
Meanwhile, on the Official Albums Chart, BTS's fifth studio album "Arirang" remained in the rankings for a 17th consecutive week, though it slipped 17 places to No. 35 this week.
All three entries share a common thread — each comes from a HYBE artist — and together they illustrate how diverse forms of K-pop content, from a girl group collaboration and an animated film soundtrack to a full studio album, are simultaneously maintaining a presence on the UK charts.
why37@heraldcorp.com