At what point does a delusional dream become aspirational? Is it only when it pays off, and the benefit of hindsight gives a rose-tinted sheen to our more unhinged goals? If you ask KiiiKiii, the K-pop rookie quintet, it’s the moment the “delulu” thought pops into your head.
“[Being delulu] starts from an internet meme, but for us, it is a really optimistic driving force,” leader Jiyu tells NME over video call from Seoul. She’s sitting alongside her fellow members – Kya, Haum, Leesol and Sui – in the office of their record label, STARSHIP Entertainment, just after the release of their second EP, January’s ‘Delulu Pack’ and their inclusion in this year’s NME 100.
The girl group took inspo from the phrase thrown around on social media to describe your most out-of-pocket urges and decided to reclaim it. Now, being delulu isn’t just about being able to pull a celeb crush or connecting dots that aren’t even in the same orbit as each other – it’s about taking your dreams and making them into a reality, whatever it takes.
“It’s all about manifesting freedom, being true and being my current self,” Jiyu continues. “We were focusing on how free we are, and we really wanted to show what we are as us – the core essence of us,” echoes vocalist Haum.
In the music video for ‘404 (New Era)’, which kicks off the delulu era of KiiiKiii, home videos of the girls performing in school talent shows as kids and at home for their parents are mashed together in quick succession with videos of them in the practice room and cosplaying notable superstar archetypes like badass rockstars, ’60s girl group crooners and y2k divas. It’s a smash-cut proof of concept that every wild fantasy has to start somewhere.
“Whenever I had this concept of ‘a dream’, singer was actually my number one dream job,” says vocalist Sui. “When I was in my childhood, I always dreamed about myself being on stage and singing.” It’s a dream her bandmates shared. All aged between 14 and 18, they aren’t far removed from the days of coveting their current reality in their bedrooms and in stolen moments of watching YouTube between lessons.
“While we were growing up, I went through so many different artists’ performances and songs, and I was so inspired. I think starting from that point, I started to dream about becoming a singer,” says rapper Leesol, who admits she first imagined being a doctor before landing on idol. In a moment of full-circle kismet, one of the artists the girls grew up watching, Tablo of the Korean hip-hop icons Epik High, produced the song ‘To Me From Me’ from their current record.
“I really admire his artistry, and I’m a really big fan, and he actually came to the recording studio, helped us and guided us through our recording sessions,” says Jiyu, almost buzzing with delight.
“We really want to find our own [personalities], and we use KiiiKiii as a way to express our freedom” – Leesol
Their path to idol status was cemented in March 2025 when KiiiKiii made their debut in an explosion of gaudy, Gen Z aesthetics – think manicured lofi with a hint of kitschy brainrot. And their sound is equally eccentric, with their first EP, 2025’s ‘Uncut Gem’, and this latest release a packed mix of influences – hyperpop, ’80s synthwave and city pop – ramming their records with songs that wouldn’t be out of place soundtracking a movie coming-of-age montage.
From the jump, they were carving out a niche as a group not set on one artistic path. Instead, they want to let their dreams be their ultimate guide, delulu-style. “We’ve been talking about being free and freedom itself ever since our debut,” says Sui, and there’s clearly an emphasis on pursuing a flowing, unanchored course for KiiiKiii that’s inspired by each other as they grow up together.
“We really want to find our own [personalities], and I feel like we use KiiiKiii as a way to express our freedom or our [personality],” says Leesol. “So instead of seeking an answer, we look for what we want to do and how we want to express it.”
“We are a group of five with such strong individual characteristics,” she continues. “We each have strong personalities, but to be honest, I feel like we’re getting similar in terms of taste. So it’s really funny how we’re so different, but in a group, you live together, you spend so much time together, and you actually become so similar to each other.”
“When we’re all together, we give a lot of feedback, and we have a lot of ideas to share,” says Kya, the youngest of the group. “Through the process, we really look at the core of what our team is and who individual members are, and I think that really helps.”
By their own admission, the first year of KiiiKiii has gone by in a blur – a heady, speeding train since debut that hasn’t slowed down for a second. In just a few weeks, they’ll celebrate their first anniversary together, and, rather than setting out any concrete goals, their aspirations going forward are more fluid in nature, with a heavy focus on being the kind of group that fans can look up to and be excited by.
“The fact that I could also be someone’s icon, someone’s diva, is a really [hard to comprehend] feeling, and it’s not hitting me 100 per cent,” says Jiyu, with a kind of wild-eyed, disbelieving look.
“The fact that I could also be someone’s icon, someone’s diva, is a really [hard to comprehend] feeling” – Jiyu
It’s a sentiment that Kya, who, at 14, probably feels most aware of her existence as parallel to her peers, echoes with glee. “If we [had] heard that there would be so many fans that love us so much, honestly, it would have been so unreal to us back in the day. I think that’s also something a year ago I wouldn’t have believed.”
They get shivers on the call as they think about girls not far from their own age sneaking watches of their music videos and live performances, and clocking them as inspiration fodder. In the blink of an eye, their dreams have been made manifest, and it’s a reminder that no big win comes without first being a little bit delulu.
KiiiKiii’s ‘Delulu Pack’ EP is out now via STARSHIP Entertainment.