Photo = Swing Entertainment

 

The time it took for a song that ranked No. 100 immediately after release to rise to No. 1: ten days. Group I.O.I’s new song ‘Suddenly’ topped Melon TOP100 ten days after its release. It was not an immediate post-release rise, but the result of the song slowly climbing the chart as the group continued appearing on music shows. There is a reason behind this flow.

 

‘Suddenly’ started at No. 100 on Melon TOP100 at 7 p.m. on May 19, the day of its release. The next day, it rose to No. 49, then No. 32 on the 21st and No. 24 on the 22nd, climbing little by little each day. It reached No. 16 on the 23rd, No. 10 on the 24th, and No. 7 on the morning of the 25th, before rising to No. 4 that night, No. 3 on the 26th, and No. 2 on the 27th. After staying between No. 2 and No. 4, it finally settled at No. 1 at 8 a.m. today (29th). It reached No. 1 ten days after release. The fact that its ranking rose over time, rather than immediately after release when organized fandom streaming campaigns tend to be concentrated, signals that the general public outside the fandom flowed in.

 

The sharp chart rise was thanks to the stages. ‘Suddenly’ is a song that feels different when listened to as an audio track and when watched on stage. The ‘Lalala’ section that follows the chorus can feel like a long, lyricless repeated section through streaming alone. But on stage, that part changes completely. As the members face one another and sing together, and their brightly smiling faces overlap, an emotion that does not come through in the audio bursts out. The fact that I.O.I’s chart ranking climbed step by step as the group appeared on music shows including Mnet’s ‘M Countdown,’ KBS2’s ‘Music Bank,’ MBC’s ‘Show! Music Core,’ and SBS’s ‘Inkigayo’ can be read as the result of people who watched the performances returning to the song.

 

There is a background to why that scene works so powerfully. Among the nine members who participated in this reunion, some continued idol activities after I.O.I, while others debuted in different groups that later disbanded and left the stage, and some did not pursue music activities at all. KIM DOYEON and JUNG CHAEYEON, who are currently active as actresses, said that their final stages as idols had come without warning. In one piece of content, KIM DOYEON confessed, “My last stage was actually my last stage without me knowing it would be,” and JUNG CHAEYEON responded, “Me too.” KIM DOYEON continued, “Being able to dance, sing, prepare for the stage, and record again like this. It feels like I’m properly savoring it,” explaining why this moment together is even more precious. KIM SEJEONG said that while she was promoting with both I.O.I and gugudan at the time, “I felt like I might cause harm to this team too, and because I was timid and worried that I might say the wrong thing, I felt awkward around the members for years.” Although they were one team, there was a time when they could not freely take care of one another.

 

Those members now look at one another and smile on stage. Fans watch and support the performances within that context. That is why the stage is read not simply as a performance, but as a narrative. The fact that behind-the-scenes stories of the members were revealed through various variety shows and content during the comeback process also made this emotional line even stronger.

 

A trace from ten years ago that had remained unresolved on music show stages has now been filled. During I.O.I’s activities ten years ago, the group was ultimately unable to appear on MBC’s ‘Show! Music Core’ and SBS’s ‘Inkigayo’ due to terrestrial broadcasters’ checks against a group formed through a cable survival program. That is why appearing on the stages of those two broadcasters for the first time through this comeback carries meaning beyond a simple appearance. A door that had been closed ten years ago has opened. On the 28th, I.O.I also added an Mnet ‘M Countdown’ stage that had not originally been planned as a gesture of gratitude to fans, and the members shed tears at a surprise banner event prepared by the production team. The banner read, “I.O.I, we will wait forever.” It was the group’s final stage at the broadcaster that I.O.I considers like a mother.

 

Starting today (29th), I.O.I will hold its solo concert ‘2026 I.O.I Concert Tour: LOOP’ for three days at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul, opening the door to its Asia tour. Today, as the song’s No. 1 on the music chart and the opening of the concert overlap, the stage where ‘Suddenly’ is completed now moves to the concert hall.