KiiiKiii's "404 (New Era)" Conquered Every Major Korean Chart in Three Weeks

KiiiKiii turned "404 (New Era)" into one of early 2026's clearest rookie breakout records, with Starship Entertainment confirming that the single and the group's second EP Delulu Pack climbed to the top tier of Korea's major streaming charts within weeks of release. According to Korean chart coverage from Starship, StarNews, and Korea JoongAng Daily, the song reached number one on Melon, led YouTube Music's Korean rankings, and posted parallel strength on Apple Music, Spotify Korea, and Bugs. That matters because rookie hype is easy to manufacture for a weekend and brutally hard to sustain across every major service at once. KiiiKiii did not score one viral spike here. They built a comeback cycle that translated into chart endurance, music-show wins, and a much louder conversation about how fast this group is moving inside the fourth-generation girl-group race.

The Numbers Tell the Story

Released on January 26, "404 (New Era)" climbed into Melon's top tier in just over two weeks and then kept holding ground instead of disappearing after an initial fandom rush. As reported by Korea JoongAng Daily and later follow-up coverage from StarNews, the track also led YouTube Music's weekly ranking and pushed across Apple Music, Spotify Korea, and Bugs at the same time. That kind of cross-platform concentration is what separates a promising rookie hit from a genuine market takeover. One chart can be brushed off as momentum. Every chart moving together suggests the public is paying attention, the fandom is organized, and the comeback landed with enough replay value to survive Korea's brutally fast release cycle. It also shows that the group's concept translated beyond one platform's algorithm or one week's novelty spike.

KiiiKiii also claimed Melon's Weekly Popularity Award for the first week of February, adding another data point to the idea that this comeback was not living off one algorithmic push.

Three Trophies in Two Weeks

The streaming dominance translated directly into music show wins. KiiiKiii picked up their first-ever trophy on Show! Champion, followed by a win on Show! Music Core, their first on a major terrestrial broadcast network. The third came on M Countdown, where "404 (New Era)" topped the show with 6,450 points, edging out ATEEZ's "Adrenaline." Three music show wins in two weeks is an unusually forceful statement for a group that had not even hit its first anniversary. Those wins gave the comeback a visible broadcast stamp of approval, not just a streaming narrative, and they helped turn chart data into a more mainstream perception of arrival.

Built on UK Garage and TikTok Momentum

"404 (New Era)" draws on UK house and garage textures shaped by producer duo Ldn Noise, while lyric credits include Omega Sapien of Balming Tiger. According to Starship Entertainment's own release notes, the track reframes the familiar "404 Not Found" error code as a metaphor for escaping boundaries. A pre-release TikTok challenge pushed choreography clips and hooks into the feed early, but the bigger point is that the song held up after the teaser phase. Plenty of campaigns generate curiosity. Far fewer convert that curiosity into sustained domestic chart control.

By the time Delulu Pack officially dropped, "404 (New Era)" already had a built-in audience waiting to stream.

From Uncut Gem to Global Recognition

KiiiKiii's five members, Jiyu, Leesol, Sui, Haum, and Kya, debuted on March 24, 2025 with the EP Uncut Gem and lead single "I Do Me." Korean coverage and platform reporting credited the debut with early streaming traction, but Delulu Pack is the release that pushed the group into a different bracket.

The jump from Uncut Gem to Delulu Pack marks a deliberate pivot toward harder-edged club sounds while maintaining the group's Y2K visual identity. Internationally, the single and EP also reached iTunes K-pop charts in multiple markets, while NME included KiiiKiii in its 2026 emerging-artists list.

What's Next

KiiiKiii are set to appear on JTBC's Knowing Brothers alongside Hearts2Hearts for a girl-group showcase segment. If "404 (New Era)" is the pace-setter, the next conversation is not whether KiiiKiii can become a major name. It is how quickly they can turn this rookie surge into staying power.