[Edaily Starin KIM HYUNSIK Reporter] Boy group ATEEZ (Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yoonho, Yeosang, San, Min-ki, Wooyoung, Jongho) is achieving its best-ever performance on domestic music charts with the title track “BAD” from their 14th mini-album “GOLDEN HOUR: Part.5.” The song’s popularity has skyrocketed as member San (real name Choi San)’s standout dance move has become a hot topic online.

◇All Eyes on San’s Performance… Even Earned the Nickname “Southern Air Force”
According to YouTube Music’s latest weekly popular songs chart (July 10–16) released on the 24th, ATEEZ’s “Bad” ranked 7th. It continued its upward trend, climbing two spots from the previous week. On the Melon daily chart dated July 23, released that same day, the song ranked 21st, up one spot from the previous day. This is the first time an ATEEZ song has made it into the top 100 on the Melon Daily Chart, making this achievement all the more remarkable.
“Bad” is a Brazilian funk-based track centered on the theme of gradually synchronizing with a partner to whom one is instinctively drawn. It features an impressive blend of highly addictive electronic percussion, an aggressive bassline, and an intuitive chant hook, all set against a repetitive rhythmic structure.
At the heart of the song’s popularity is the standout choreography performed by member San. The performance for “Bad” is characterized by a dynamic composition that vividly expresses attraction, control, and the struggle to break free from a partner. San is the member who performs the signature move—where he leans his body diagonally and forcefully jerks his upper body forward—from the center position toward the end of the song. He maximized the appeal of this signature choreography segment by combining a performance built on his solid physique with expressive facial acting that highlights his languid yet provocative gaze.

This section, which simultaneously showcases San’s restrained sex appeal and wild charm, has gone viral online among K-pop fans as the so-called “kill-or-be-killed part”—a term referring to the highlight scene of the performance. Amid this, San was dubbed the “Grand Duke of the South,” adding explosive momentum to the buzz.
Previously, during the promotion for “Ice On My Teeth,” released in November 2024, San masterfully embodied a cold and composed concept, earning him the nickname “Duke of the North”—a term referring to a nobleman ruling over a cold and barren northern fiefdom in a romance fantasy. Since the start of their “Bad” promotional activities, stage videos featuring San wearing a white sleeveless outfit have become a major talking point, leading to the nickname “Duke of the South”—a title referring to a noble who rules the warm and prosperous southern region.
Meanwhile, San’s stage videos, along with various challenges and parody clips, were pushed by algorithms to reach audiences who don’t typically watch idol content, which in turn led to a rise in “Bad”’s music chart rankings. On the 23rd, even Noh Tae-moon, CEO of Samsung Electronics and President of the Device Solutions (DX) Division, joined the “Bad” challenge. A video released by digital creator “Mini” showed President Noh taking on the “Bad” challenge to promote the new Galaxy foldable phone and shouting, “If you don’t use Galaxy, you’re bad,” which drew significant attention.

◇A Positive Sign for Strengthening Its Domestic Presence
Since their debut in 2018, ATEEZ has built a global fanbase driven by their intense music and performances. They wrote a legendary story by overcoming the limitations typically faced by idols from small-to-medium-sized agencies to reach the top of Billboard’s main album chart. They also topped the Billboard 200 with their album “Golden Hour: Part 5,” released last month. This marks their third No. 1 ranking overall. With this album, ATEEZ also demonstrated their strong album sales by achieving first-week sales of over 1.88 million copies, according to Hanteo Chart, a domestic album sales tracking site.
ATEEZ, who had been evaluated as having a relatively weaker domestic presence compared to their overseas success, have signaled a positive shift toward securing mainstream popularity in Korea thanks to the surge in popularity of “Bad,” laying the groundwork for another leap forward. All eyes are on how high they will push “Bad” in the charts.
Pop music critic Lim Hee-yoon, in a phone interview with Edaily that day, analyzed, “Unlike ATEEZ’s previous tracks, which were characterized by a dramatic structure with a clear beginning, middle, and end, ‘Bad’ is a short, intense song that maintains high energy from start to finish,” adding, “This structure worked to its advantage in spreading as a ‘meme’ on short-form platforms.”
He continued, “‘Bad’ is a track that seamlessly blends the repetitive and addictive rhythms characteristic of the Brazilian funk genre with a provocative yet sensual atmosphere. The interplay between the song, the signature choreography, and San’s expressiveness has created scenes that leave a lasting impression on both the eyes and ears even after just one second of viewing,” and assessed that “the popularity of ‘Bad’ has served as an opportunity to introduce ATEEZ to a wide range of generations.”