TVXQ's Yunho's viewership for 'Thank U' is 56 times higher... Rapid rise due to SNS algorithm

The solo song 'Thank U' by Yunho (TVXQ) has attracted attention with a 56-fold increase in the number of listeners on music platforms four years after its release.

According to Melon, one of Korea's leading music platforms, on the 8th, the number of listeners for 'Thank U', the title song of Yunho's second mini-album 'NOIR', increased more than 56 times compared to the same period in June, from the 3rd to the 5th of this month.

Comments on Melon for 'Thank U' include reactions such as “It's come this far on Reels,” “Honestly, you should give it a listen,” and “I ended up searching for it and listening to it.”

'Thank U' is a pop dance song written and composed by Yoo Young-jin, featuring repetitive lyrics in a ‘lesson’ format such as “This is the first lesson, only you can know what's good” and “The second lesson, only you can hold onto sadness.”

This reverse trend was sparked by streamer LookSam featuring the music video as content, which helped spread the meme.

Yunho also joined the trend. On the 6th, he visited the concert of SM's junior group 'RIIZE' and filmed a 'Thank U' challenge titled 'Lesson Complete.' The video posted on the official Instagram account surpassed 6 million views in just one day.

Im Hyun, a pop music critic, analyzed, “The ‘Thank U’ challenge succeeded because it used straightforward Korean lyrics instead of English, allowing listeners to grasp the meaning rather than the atmosphere of the message. The contrast between Yunho's sincere image and the playful lyrics actually sparked the general public's interest.”