CNBLUE’s ‘Killer Joy’ challenge goes viral as artists and fans turn it into a global music trend

CNBLUE is proving their lasting power in their 17th year since debut as the ‘Killer Joy’ challenge continues to spread across social media evolving from a star-studded collaboration into a full-scale fan movement.

From idol collabs to a public participation boom

The challenge for “Killer Joy,” the title track of CNBLUE’s 3rd full album 3LOGY, first gained attention in January when a long list of artists joined in.

Participants included:

• ATEEZ’s Hongjoong
• TREASURE’s Jihoon
• Red Velvet’s Wendy
• actor Jung Hae-in
• BOYNEXTDOOR’s Sungho
• rock legend Kim Kyung-ho
• Danny Koo
• SEVENTEEN’s DK

and many more a total of around 40 artists spanning singers, actors, and creators.

With high-quality performance videos featuring Jung Yong-hwa on guitar, Kang Min-hyuk on drums, and Lee Jung-shin on bass, some clips surpassed 2 million views, proving the challenge’s explosive buzz.

Now everyone is joining

The trend has expanded beyond celebrities.

Fans and general users are now uploading their own versions, reinterpreting the song with:

• vocals
• piano
• guitar
• original rearrangements

This has transformed the challenge into more than a short-form trend — it is becoming a music-content movement that highlights the song’s versatility.

A challenge that travels with the world tour

CNBLUE is currently on their 2026 CNBLUE LIVE WORLD TOUR ‘3LOGY’, after successfully completing shows in Seoul and Macau.

The tour will continue across:

Taipei → Melbourne → Sydney → Auckland → Singapore → Kuala Lumpur → Jakarta → Yokohama → Aichi → Kobe → Hong Kong → Bangkok → Kaohsiung.

At each venue, a special challenge zone allows fans to participate on site, helping the viral trend expand globally alongside the tour.

17 years in — and still setting trends

With the ongoing spread of the Killer Joy challenge, CNBLUE is once again demonstrating the strength of their musical identity and global influence.

Rather than fading with time, the band is turning a performance challenge into a worldwide participatory music culture, drawing renewed attention to their current activities and future trajectory.