Of course we didn’t forget about ILLIT’s special single this week —
“Not Cute Anymore.”
And if the title already feels like a statement, the lyrics go even further.
This song is full of layered references and half-hidden meanings —
almost like a riddle wrapped in dreamy pop.
Every line feels like an allusion to something else,
a wink, a metaphor, a reversal,
sometimes playful, sometimes cryptic.
But there’s one line that stays in your head the moment you hear it:
“안돼 no more,
강아지보단 난 느슨한 해파리가 좋아”
“No, no more —
I prefer a loose, drifting jellyfish over a puppy.”
What does it mean?
Let’s break it down.
—
🌊 1️⃣ 안돼 no more – “No, no more / I won’t anymore”
• 안돼 → no / it can’t / I won’t
• no more → English emphasis
💡 Interpretation:
A firm refusal.
A boundary.
A moment of:
“I’m done acting the way you expect.”
—
🐶 2️⃣ 강아지보단 – “Rather than a puppy…”
• 강아지 → puppy
• -보다 → than
• -ㄴ → attaches to make the comparison clearer
💡 Symbolism:
In K-pop imagery, “puppy” often means:
cute, eager-to-please, energetic, obedient, bubbly.
This line rejects that stereotype directly.
—
🌫️ 3️⃣ 난 느슨한 해파리가 좋아 – “I like a loose, drifting jellyfish”
• 난 → I (나는)
• 느슨한 → loose / relaxed / not stiff
• 해파리 → jellyfish
• 좋아 → I like
💡 Symbolism:
The jellyfish isn’t cute.
It’s slow, fluid, undefined, unpredictable,
floating freely wherever the current takes it.
This line is a declaration of identity:
“Don’t expect me to be energetic, adorable, bouncy,
the ‘puppy girl’ stereotype.
I prefer being soft, fluid, ungraspable —
something you can’t pin down.”
—
✨ 4️⃣ Why It Matters
“Not Cute Anymore” is ILLIT challenging the image placed on them —
and perhaps the pressure of being the “cute rookie group.”
The lines
“안돼 no more / 강아지보단 난 느슨한 해파리가 좋아”
hint at rejecting a pre-made identity:
Not the puppy.
Not the cute one.
Not the stereotype.
Instead, something drifting, soft, independent,
and impossible to define.
It’s an oddly poetic way to say:
“I’m not here to fit your image —
I’m here to be myself.”
💭 What interpretation do you get from this jellyfish metaphor?
Drop a 🌊 or 💗 below!