What is #CandyChallenge? K-Pop Group Starts New Dance Trend

The hashtag #CandyChallenge was trending on Twitter on Monday thanks to K-pop group, NCT Dream.

Dance challenges often go viral online on TikTok and YouTube Shorts, with the initial video promoting the “CandyChallenge” on YouTube Shorts already receiving 154,000 views.

NCT Dream, a sub-unit of the Korean group NCT, consists of members Jeno, Renjun, Haechan, Chenle, Jaemin and Jisung.

The group had the hashtag trending amidst their promotion for the upcoming comeback special winter mini-album, Candy, set to be released on December 16.

But what exactly is the Candy Challenge?

The Candy Challenge showed off the members of NCT Dream dancing to their upcoming song, “Candy,” along with the caption, “Have fun this holiday with #CandyChallenge,” and several emojis.

Some fans have already joined in on the fun, posting their own videos dancing to “Candy” on TikTok and YouTube Shorts as well.

“Aaaaaa this #CandyChallenge is soooooo cuteee😭,” one user said in a tweet with a clip of their recreation of the dance.

Other fans encouraged more to make videos using the hashtag and the song to help promote the upcoming album.

“Spread link and stream candy on yt, for tiktok creators you can make a trend candy challenge so that everyone can find out about it. Candy is a Dream vibe song, everyone can have fun through candy challenges with various styles,” one Twitter user wrote.

NCT Dream released a number of promotional content in preparation for the “Candy” release, including a video teasing the song with a pair of big fuzzy orange mittens, with the band hinting in the caption, “What’s the Mittens for? #NCTDREAM #CandyChallenge.”

Above, NCT Dream perform on stage during ‘The-K Concert’ at Jamsil Sports Complex on October 7 in Seoul. The hashtag #CandyChallenge was trending on Twitter on Monday thanks to K-pop group. Getty

The video, posted originally on YouTube Shorts, had amassed roughly 135,000 views at the time of publication.

Meanwhile, the band also released teaser concept images of all of the members of the group, dressed in winter garb and posing with giant candy canes and gift boxes.

NCT Dream is just one sub-unit of the Korean band known as NCT, a group with at least 23 members that was formed in 2016 by SM Entertainment. The members range in age from late teens to mid-twenties.

Besides NCT Dream, the other sub-units are called NCT U, NCT 127, and WayV.

NCT 127 is set to release a documentary showcasing its tour through North America and Japan in 2023.

Newsweek reached out to a representative for NCT Dream for additional comment.

Update 12/05/22, 12:00 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and background.

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