WOODZ’s “Drowning” Dominates 2025 Music Charts, Completing a Phenomenal Comeback Story

“Drowning” by WOODZ (Cho Seung-yeon) stands at the center of the comeback craze that has reshaped South Korea’s music market in 2025. According to performance data compiled by TJ Media, the country’s leading karaoke company, “Drowning” is the most performed song this year. WOODZ’s comeback miracle began when an unreleased special episode from KBS2’s Military Day program from last October was posted on YouTube. The video of him performing “Drowning” in uniform while serving in the military went viral, leading to the song entering Melon’s Top 10 in January and reaching number one by May—a remarkable turnaround just a few months after its first appearance on the Top 100 list last October. The popularity of “Drowning” extends far beyond music charts into mainstream culture as a whole. It has become a song that everyone can sing, appearing not only on karaoke machines but also in creative short-form content and challenge videos on YouTube and various social media platforms. It was even chosen as a must-cover song by amateur rock groups, truly becoming what could be called WOODZ’s “signature track” during his military service. The 2025 South Korean music market saw diverse successes, including K-POP Demon Hunters’ OST “Golden” being named the most popular song in Korea according to YouTube’s annual rankings. Additionally, new media platforms such as YouTube virality and social media challenge videos have become key factors shaping music chart trends. Singer-songwriter Hanroro has steadily built credibility through Spotify’s recommended playlists, emerging as a symbol of trust. Small-scale agency girl groups such as LE SSERAFIM, H1-KEY, and FIFTY FIFTY also gained traction thanks to challenge videos and social media buzz, experiencing a late surge in popularity. As a result, songs by male solo artists topped TJ Karaoke’s popularity chart for five consecutive years. Amid the dominance of emotional ballad genres, “Drowning” has firmly established itself as a song representing the current era.