"Don't Wanna Cry" (Korean: 울고 싶지 않아) is a song released by South Korean boy band Seventeen on May 22, 2017, as the lead single from their EPAl1.
Composition
Even before the “Don’t Wanna Cry” comeback, there were a lot of thoughts going through our heads because this release was a very different sound from what we released so far. We wondered how our fans and the public would react, and if they would even like it.
— DK on departing from previous musical genres, Teen Vogue[1]
"Don't Wanna Cry" is a major departure from the group's previous singles, which consisted mainly of lighthearted, upbeat love songs. The lyrics describe post-breakup feelings of heartbreak and loneliness. Additionally, it incorporated elements of EDM and electropop[2] and was less influenced by hip hop than their previous work.
Music video
The music video for "Don't Wanna Cry" was released on May 22, 2017.[2] Depicting the group melancholically expressing their regrets at the end of a relationship,[2] the music video was filmed in various locations across Los Angeles, USA.[3]
Reception and plagiarism controversy
"Don't Wanna Cry" was praised by critics as a transition to a more mature sound for the group.[2] It won Best Dance Performance for a male group at the 2017 Mnet Asian Music Awards[4] and reached number one on the Korea Hot music chart.[5] Due to plagiarism concerns and criticism about the song's similarity to "Something Just Like This", Seventeen gave Coldplay and the Chainsmokers copyright credit, although Pledis Entertainment, Seventeen's record label, maintains the song was "independently created" and the move was to protect the artists from potential legal issues.[6][7]
^Jo, Eun-jeong (May 23, 2017). "세븐틴, 타이틀곡 '울고 싶지 않아'...슬픔과 조우한 13인 13색" [Seventeen, title song 'I Don't Want to Cry'... 13 people and 13 colors who encountered sadness]. Seoul Economic Daily. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024 – via Naver.
^"[★밤TView]'더쇼' 세븐틴, '울고 싶지 않아'로 1위 '함박웃음'" [[★Night TView] ‘The Show’ Seventeen takes first place with 'I Don’t Want to Cry', 'Big smile']. Star News (in Korean). Naver. May 30, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
^"'더 쇼' 세븐틴, '울고 싶지 않아' 2주 연속 1위…김세황-김정모 콜라보 공개" ['The Show' Seventeen, 'I Don't Want to Cry' takes first place for 2 weeks in a row... Kim Se-hwang & Kim Jeong-mo collaboration revealed]. Busan Ilbo (in Korean). Naver. June 13, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
^Yoo, Ji-hye (June 2, 2017). '뮤직뱅크' 세븐틴, 트와이스 꺾고 1위...굿바이 씨스타 [종합] ['Music Bank' Seventeen beat TWICE to win 1st place... Goodbye SISTAR [General]]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim, Eun-ae (June 15, 2017). '엠카' 세븐틴, 1위 '6관왕'…티아라·NCT127 컴백[종합] ['M Countdown' Seventeen, 1st place '6 crowns'... T-ara, NCT127 comeback]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020 – via Naver.