- Blue reached No. 1 on YouTube based on consistent chart gains rather than an opening-week spike.
- National broadcast stages and peer reviews increased demand beyond SEVENTEEN's core fan base.
- Soya-gok, the album containing Blue, had extraordinary sales for a unit release, selling over 520,000 copies on day one.
SEVENTEEN's vocal duo, Dokyeom and Seungkwan, scored a remarkable winter ballad hit this week as their new track Blue led key music charts, marking a solid digital performance for a genre that is frequently eclipsed by high-tempo K-pop songs.
As stated by HYBE's subsidiary label Pledis Entertainment, Blue, the title track from Dokyeom x Seungkwan's debut mini-album Soya-gok, peaked at No. 1 on YouTube Korea's "Trending Music" chart at 9 p.m. KST on Jan 18, 2026. The song entered at No. 27 on the same chart on Jan 13, and then rose to No. 2 by the 15th; it eventually took the top spot, demonstrating sustained public interest for the artists and the song alike. Two additional tracks, Rockstar (DK Solo) and Guilty Pleasure, also charted success at Nos. 28 and 30, respectively.
Live Stages and Vocal Performances Fuel Momentum of Blue
According to industry insiders, the increased popularity of the song, is due to more than just initial fan engagement, as live performances at major Korean music concerts have resulted in persistent exposure. Dokyeom and Seungkwan performed Blue on Mnet's M Countdown (Jan 15), KBS2's Music Bank, and The Seasons - 10CM's Soft Touch (Jan 16), MBC's Show! Music Core (Jan 17), and SBS's Inkigayo (Jan 18), boosting release-week visibility in a busy calendar.
The stage performances highlighted the duo's vocal mastery and chemistry, helping the ballad gain popularity online. The Seasons’ appearance also featured the first broadcast performance of the B-side track Guilty Pleasure, which expanded interest beyond the title song.
Blue’s Viral Covers and Social Media Buzz
Established South Korean singers and peers from all genres, including pop and indie, have sung Blue on social media, thus broadening the song's appeal outside core fandom circles. Davichi, Lee Mujin, Younha, Gummy, Sohee of RIIZE, Ha Hyun-sang, 10CM, Daybreak, WJSN's Yoo Yeon-jung, SOLE, George, and Mamamoo's Solar are among the notable participants who have posted covers of Blue. Along with their reinterpretations, fan remixes have also added to the popularity of the song. All factors led Blue to ultimately be propelled to No. 1 on Instagram's "Trending Audio" on Jan 17.
A cinema version music video of Blue was also released by HYBE six days ago, starring actors Lee Yoo-mi and Noh Sang-hyun. That video too charted success on YouTube Korea's Weekly Popular Music Videos section within the time period of Jan 9 to Jan 15, 2026.
Sales and Physical Formats Defy Norms for Unit Projects
The mini-album Soya-gok surpassed standard K-pop unit releases. It sold over 520,000 copies on its first day, as per industry reports, and topped the Worldwide iTunes Albums chart, both of which are remarkable feats for a subgroup endeavor. An LP edition is also set to be released on March 16, marking a rare foray into vinyl for a modern Korean act.
Blue's rise defied K-pop's traditional front-loaded release pattern. Supported by repeated broadcast exposure and peer-driven reinterpretations, the ballad steadily rose in a market fueled by high-energy pop, indicating that prolonged engagement, rather than a sudden viral spike, drove its chart performance.
