[TF Chuseok Special] Talent Show That Earns Chuseok Pocket Money... 'Best Challenges' Recommended by the Industry

10 K-Pop Insiders Recommend Chuseok Talent Show ChallengesTOP 5 'Allowance-Calling Challenges' SelectedTo celebrate Chuseok, we asked industry insiders to recommend K-pop challenges perfect for showcasing at family talent shows. The photo shows ATEEZ San YEOSANG striking a 'BAD' pose on the blue carpet of the '2026 THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS(2026 THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS, TMA)' held on the 19th. / Reporter Kim Sung-ryeol[THE FACT|Reporter Choi Hyun-jung] It is truly the 'era of the great challenge.'The explosive growth of short-form platforms has spread increasingly diverse challenges throughout daily life, making them accessible to people of all ages and genders.And at the center of this 'challenge craze' is K-pop. The popularity of 'dance challenges,' sparked by Zico's 'Any Song,' has now become a massive cultural phenomenon and an indispensable element of K-pop.Of course, there are criticisms that the flood of various challenges is causing artist fatigue and other side effects, and has also addressed this. However, this is a call to be wary of excessive competition or overheating, not a denial of the cultural phenomenon itself, which has already taken root.Furthermore, as 'challenge culture' has entered the realm of daily life, it is also easing the burden of preparing for 'talent shows.' For example, songs like CORTIS's 'REDRED' or ILLIT's 'It's Me' are gaining popularity as 'songs to enjoy music and dance together,' even ranking on actual karaoke charts.So, we prepared this. Through anonymous voting (multiple votes allowed) by 10 K-pop industry insiders, we selected the 'TOP 5 Challenges That Will Definitely Earn You Allowance Money at Your Chuseok Talent Show.'◆ 5th Place - YENA 'CATCHY GELL' Challenge (2 votes)YENA's 'CATCHY GELL' was chosen as the 5th place 'Chuseok Talent Show Challenge.' The 'CATCHY GELL' challenge is advantageous because it is relatively easy and quick to learn, and suitable for both men and women. The photo shows singer and actor Lee Joon performing the 'CATCHY GELL' challenge. / YouTube 'Workman' channel captureThe title track 'CATCHY GELL' from the fifth mini-album 'LOVE CATCHER,' released in March, has become one of the most popular challenges of 2026 due to its retro sound, addictive chorus, and easy-to-follow point choreography.In fact, within about a month of its release, over 100,000 challenge videos were posted on YouTube Shorts for 'CATCHY GELL,' and on China's Douyin (TikTok), the cumulative views of related videos exceeded 1.15 billion by August, continuing its explosive popularity.The strength of 'CATCHY GELL' lies in its cheerful and exciting atmosphere, easy dance moves, and its appeal to both men and women. For example, the 'CATCHY GELL' dance performed by singer and actor Lee Joon was called the 'Owner-Stripping Challenge' and gained immense popularity, with many male stars like Woojoo, Kim Jong-min, ZEROBASEONE ZHANG HAO, and Enhypen JUNGWON taking on the 'CATCHY GELL' challenge.With its high recognition and its ability to instantly liven up the mood, 'CATCHY GELL' is considered perfect for Chuseok talent shows.One insider commented, "If you want to prepare a plausible Chuseok talent show quickly and easily, start practicing 'CATCHY GELL' right now."◆ Tied for 3rd Place - RESCENE 'Pretty Girl' (3 votes)RESCENE's new song 'Pretty Girl,' which emerged as the hottest group of 2026, also made it into the recommended challenge rankings. The photo shows EUNSEOK, a member of group RIIZE, performing the 'Pretty Girl' challenge. / RIIZE Official YouTube Channel captureRESCENE, the hottest group of 2026, is a case of a song that succeeded in reverse through a YouTube entertainment show. As such, they have popularized many memes and challenges, with the 'Parapara Dance' challenge and the 'Geoje Yahoo' meme achieving unprecedented hits, even being used by public institutions and private companies.Despite having many challenges and memes, the reason for choosing the 'Pretty Girl' challenge is clear: it is familiar and easy.As is well known, 'Pretty Girl' is not a new song but a remake of a representative song by the group KARA, meaning that people over 40 are likely to know the song itself. Furthermore, since the original song was released in 2008, the choreography itself is not as complex or flashy as current K-pop.One insider who selected 'Pretty Girl' stated, "For a talent show, cute and familiar is always the best."◆ Tied for 3rd Place - ILLIT 'It's Me' (3 votes)The 'It's Me' challenge by group ILLIT includes many addictive and characteristic poses. It is advised that even if you don't do it perfectly, you can still create fun by pushing through with sheer energy. The photo shows WONHEE of ILLIT (right) and Kim Chaewon of group LE SSERAFIM performing the 'It's Me' challenge. / ILLIT Official YouTube Channel capture'It's Me,' which could be considered ILLIT's biggest hit challenge after their debut song 'Magnetic,' was recommended by many.The strength of 'It's Me' is its 'humor.' Along with the exquisite addictiveness of the music itself, the somewhat comical and humorous poses naturally evoke a desire to 'imitate' in people, leading to numerous participations.As a prime example, 'It's Me' has ranked high on major karaoke charts despite being a style of song not typically suited for singing, confirming it as a 'song to enjoy dance and sound together.'Moreover, 'It's Me' has not only achieved high view counts or participation from celebrities but has also spawned numerous parody videos, establishing itself as a form of entertainment in itself.The humor and wit of 'It's Me' are expected to be highly effective even at a Chuseok gathering with the whole family.An insider who recommended 'It's Me' said, "The challenge is harder than it looks to match the rhythm and movements, so sufficient practice is essential. If you absolutely can't do it, just push through with the intention of being funny."◆ 2nd Place - CORTIS 'REDRED' (4 votes)The 'REDRED' challenge by group CORTIS requires not only the choreography but also its unique atmosphere and outfits. The photo shows Ryujin of group ITZY performing 'REDRED' at a fan meeting. / ITZY Official YouTube Channel captureBy all conditions, it is the optimal challenge. Thanks to its immense popularity, the music is well-known across all ages and genders, and the music itself is cheerful and witty. Additionally, there is clear point choreography that can be imitated similarly with a little practice, and for the other parts, you can dance freely as long as you capture the right vibe, and it won't be too noticeable.As a 'hexagon challenge' that excels in recognition, difficulty, and fun, it naturally received strong support from many industry insiders."I believe it's the best challenge to open the wallets of elders this Chuseok," said one insider, explaining why 'REDRED' ranked high in the Chuseok challenge.Furthermore, the insider added, "'REDRED' is a challenge where atmosphere and vibe are crucial. Practice is important, but I recommend preparing a three-striped training jacket beforehand," sharing a tip.◆ Honorable Mentions - 6 Challenges with 1 Vote EachFrom top left, clockwise: T-ara 'Bo Peep Bo Peep' (IVE), BESTie 'Love Condition' (STAYC), TUIDE 'SUN KISS' (TWICE Jihyo, Tuis Seo-yeon), 'GRLS' (TUIDE), TWS 'OVERDRIVE' (TWS), ALPHA DRIVE ONE 'BORN DIRE' (ALPHA DRIVE ONE Junseo, ATEEZ YUNHO) performing the challenge. / Each YouTube channel captureBefore revealing the 1st place, we introduce challenges that received votes but did not make the top rankings, categorized by type along with the reasons for recommendation.Reason for Recommendation: "Surviving for a long time means it's a masterpiece that has received much love. In fact, there's an increasing trend of old songs gaining attention again."Recommended Songs: T-ara 'Bo Peep Bo Peep', BESTie 'Love Condition'Reason for Recommendation: "It's hard to tell if you're doing it right when you dance somewhat freely."Recommended Songs: TUIDE 'SUN KISS', 'GRLS'Reason for Recommendation: "Cuteness always works on elders. However, if someone who doesn't suit it tries too hard, it can backfire."Recommended Song: TWS 'OVERDRIVE'Reason for Recommendation: "If you're going to do it, practice thoroughly and show a truly admirable performance."Recommended Song: ALPHA DRIVE ONE 'BORN DIRE'◆ 1st Place - ATEEZ 'BAD' (6 votes)The 'BAD' challenge by group ATEEZ is arguably the best challenge of 2026, gaining immense popularity. Therefore, many opinions suggested it would definitely work for Chuseok talent shows. The photo shows San of ATEEZ and MOMO of group TWICE performing the 'BAD' challenge. This video recorded 20.3 million views. / ATEEZ Official YouTube Channel captureThe grand prize winner is 'BAD' by ATEEZ. This result is somewhat surprising. While the 'BAD' challenge was indeed a massive hit, it was difficult to predict it would rank first for 'Chuseok talent shows.'In fact, all the songs in the TOP 5 were challenges that received great love this year, making it hard to say who would win first place. Before conducting the vote, we thought that a brighter and more cheerful song might have an advantage, given the image associated with 'Chuseok.'However, the 'BAD' challenge defied these expectations and received the most support from industry insiders.First, the 'BAD' challenge possesses most of the strengths of the previously mentioned challenges. According to Hanteo Chart, as of August, there were 83 videos of K-pop artists and celebrities participating in the 'BAD' challenge, with a cumulative view count of approximately 300 million. Naturally, when including videos from domestic and international fans, the scale expands exponentially.The best example of how popular the 'BAD' challenge is can be seen in its expansion into politics and business. Roh Tae-moon, President of Samsung Electronics' DX Division, performed the 'BAD' challenge at the Galaxy Unpacked event in London on July 23rd, and Lee Dong-seok, Mayor of Chungju, posted a promotional video for Chungju peaches using the 'BAD' challenge on his social media account on August 4th. This demonstrates that the 'BAD' challenge has moved beyond just being a trend among celebrities and fans to enter the realm of everyday life.Furthermore, San, a member who performed the highlight part of 'BAD,' successfully established the meme of the 'Northern Duke (a cliché of a man who is cold and strong but warm inside),' leaving a distinct impression.The outstanding recognition and versatility of the 'BAD' challenge are also cited as its strengths.One insider commented, "Looking at the entire choreography, 'BAD' is a very difficult challenge. However, if you look at the point choreography part where you stand sideways and wave your arms, anyone can recognize it as the 'BAD' challenge, it's that clear," adding, "You can practice thoroughly to show 'coolness,' or you can use it for 'comedy' by doing it casually. Either way, it's suitable for a talent show."He continued, "If you want to show 'coolness' rather than 'comedy,' practicing the choreography along with maintaining a captivating expression and managing your physique is important. Be careful not to become the 'Northern Pig Duke'," warning of potential pitfalls.laugardagr@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]