Three of HYBE's most famous girl groups are joining forces. LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT, and KATSEYE will release a special collaboration digital single titled "ICONIC BY MISTAKE" on June 12 at 1:00 PM KST. The official music video will be pre-released on June 11 at midnight KST, and the three groups will perform the song live on Mnet's M Countdown on June 11, prior to the official release.
What do we know about the film "Iconic By Mistake"?«
Aside from the title, promotional schedule, and animated teaser with the logo released alongside the announcement, specific details about the track—its sound, composition, and theme—have not yet been confirmed, and this article will be updated as needed. The teaser, however, demonstrates a shared visual identity across all three groups on this project, suggesting a coordinated creative direction rather than a haphazardly assembled compilation.
Who are these three groups?
ELMONT, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 11: (L-R) HU YUNJIN, KIM CHAEWON, KAZUHA, SAKURA, and HONG EUNCHAE of LE SSERAFIM attend the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)
Getty Images
LE SSERAFIM is a five-member South Korean girl group signed to Source Music, a subsidiary of HYBE. The group debuted in 2022 and released their second studio album in May 2026. Pureflow Pt. 1 , including the lead singles "Celebration" and "Boompala".
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – DECEMBER 20, 2025: ILLIT members Yoona, Wonhee, Minju, Iroha, and Moka attend the red carpet of the 2025 Melon Music Awards (MMA2025) at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul. (Photo by The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins via Getty Images)
ImaZins via Getty Images
ILLIT is a fourth-generation five-member girl group under BELIFT LAB, another subsidiary of HYBE, who debuted in March 2024. They made their comeback earlier this year with the single "It's Me." The group became one of the most commercially successful K-pop debuts of 2024, topping the Gaon Digital Chart and achieving significant international streaming figures with their debut single "Magnetic.".
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 1: Katsy attends the 68th Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena on February 1, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Photos by Getty Images for The Recording Academy
KATSEYE is a six-piece global girl group (currently a five-piece, with Manon Bannerman on hiatus) formed under the HYBE x Geffen Records banner. The group recently received all three nominations at the 52nd American Music Awards and is preparing to release their third EP. Wild in August, as well as the WILDWORLD tour of the UK, Europe and North America this autumn.
FORBES | Hannah Abraham. KATSEEYE is embarking on its first solo world tour—without Manon.
The history of intra-label collaborations among K-pop artists
Collaborations between K-pop groups are nothing new, but historically, they have more often occurred between artists from the same label and have typically been either a gesture of fan loyalty or a strategic commercial undertaking. The most notable precedent within HYBE itself is the collaborative tracks released on BTS's sublabels, and before that, SM Entertainment's practice of releasing annual collaborative singles on SM Station and YG Entertainment's tradition of bringing together label artists for special releases. "ICONIC BY MISTAKE" brings together one of the most commercially successful fourth-generation groups, LE SSERAFIM; one of the most talked-about new groups, ILLIT; and KATSEYE, the only Western-born girl group in the lineup, working under the HYBE x Geffen collaborative infrastructure, spanning Korea and the United States. Collectively, these three groups represent HYBE's strategy for fourth-generation K-pop across their respective Korean labels and through their global joint venture.
The track "ICONIC BY MISTAKE" by KATSEYE, ILLIT, and LE SSERAFIM will be released on June 12 at 1:00 PM KST. A pre-release music video will be released on June 11 at midnight KST. The groups will perform live on M Countdown on June 11.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com.