SEVENTEEN sub-unit 'MEBEZO' Dokyeom and Seungkwan are digging into listeners' winter playlists with their new song "Blue".
"Blue" is a traditional ballad that captures moments when the speed and depth of emotions are out of sync, under the theme of "love with different strides." Its structure, which starts with a concise piano performance and gradually increases in scale, a solid emotional progression, and the singers' outstanding vocal skills show all the virtues of a ballad without omission. The music video is also faithful to the genre's grammar. The story of a man with wounds that are hard to overcome and a woman beside him growing tired is portrayed in a long take lasting more than seven minutes.
The mood of this song, which feels the signs of a relationship drifting apart yet cannot easily let go, is as piercing as a bitter winter wind. The chill of a breakup that anyone might have experienced at least once permeates the heart through Dokyeom and Seungkwan's voices. It is markedly different from the cozy atmosphere typical of seasonal songs.
But after listening to this lonely song, one corner of the heart warms. Perhaps because it takes "ordinary love" as its theme. "Blue" allows anyone who listens to immerse themselves and empathize as if it were their own story. The comfort Dokyeom and Seungkwan provide starts from this universal empathy. Ahead of the album release, the two said through their agency PLEDIS Entertainment Co., "We hope our song can offer a small comfort to those who somehow felt exhausted or had a hard day."
The paradoxical warmth of "Blue" is spreading to global fans beyond Korea. The song hit No. 1 on Bugs' real-time chart immediately after release and steadily climbed the ranks on YouTube Korea's "rising music" chart, settling at No. 3. It maintained a high position on the "Worldwide iTunes Song" chart for two consecutive days. A surprise vocal challenge released ahead of the song's release has exceeded 180 million views.
On top of a solid craftsmanship following traditional ballad composition, the heart-wrenching mood of breakup and the universal theme of "ordinary love" harmonized. Even vocal masters contributed to this richly seasonal sensibility. The group Davichi, singer Lee Mujin, Younha, and RIIZE member Sohee have participated in the "Blue" vocal challenge, drawing attention. Moreover, starting today (15th) with Mnet's "M Countdown," Dokyeom and Seungkwan's music show activities will ramp up. That's why "Blue"'s success is expected this winter.
[Photo] PLEDIS Entertainment Co.
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