San's viral snap sends Ateez's 'BAD' to No. 18 on Melon
Ateez's 'BAD' hits No. 18 on the Melon Daily Chart after San's short-form performance clip drives reactions, parodies and a wider listening surge.
'Let's All Die Part' sparks chart resurgence as ATEEZ's 'BAD' hits No. 18 on Melon Chart
Breaking the team's personal best by reaching No. 18 on Melon Chart
ATEEZ's new song 'BAD' is tracing an upward curve on domestic music charts, riding the wave of short-form platform algorithms. On the 23rd, 'BAD' recorded 18th place on the Melon Daily Chart. This follows its initial entry into the Melon 'Top 100' at No. 81 on the 6th, showing a pattern of rising rankings over time and breaking the group's personal best record. Unlike the typical pattern where rankings surge due to fandom power immediately after release and then drop, this track is showing a trend of leading to public listening as time passes.
The algorithm fueled by 'Southern Grand Duke' San's performance
The catalyst for this success is the choreography sequence performed by member San. In the latter half of the song, the movement where he tilts his body and powerfully snaps his upper body has become a major piece of content on short-form platforms, accompanied by the nickname 'Let's All Die Part.' Leveraging his solid physique, San executed the segment with a languid yet provocative facial expression, generating a massive amount of reaction videos and parodies that captured user interest.
San, who was called the 'Northern Grand Duke' for his cold and composed atmosphere during 'Ice On My Teeth' promotions last November, earned the new title of 'Southern Grand Duke' during this 'BAD' promotion through a stage performance wearing a white sleeveless outfit. This buzz even extended to a 'BAD' challenge video featuring Samsung Electronics President Tae-moon Roh, further boosting public recognition.
Achieving No. 1 on Billboard 200 and becoming a seventh million-seller
ATEEZ released their 14th mini-album 'GOLDEN HOUR : Part.5' on the 26th of last month. The title track 'BAD' is a Brazilian Funk genre song characterized by addictive electronic percussion and an aggressive bass line. Upon release, the album debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard main album chart, 'Billboard 200,' marking ATEEZ's third career No. 1 achievement.
Album sales are equally powerful. This album recorded 1.88 million copies sold in its first week of release, making ATEEZ a seventh million-seller. Since their debut in 2018, ATEEZ has built a global fandom centered in North America, achieving the feat of entering the 'Billboard 200' Top 10 for nine consecutive albums. Meanwhile, 'BAD' also proved its domestic and international popularity by reaching No. 7 on the YouTube Music Weekly Popular Songs chart (July 10–16).
