2021 Japanese single by Seventeen
 is a song by South Korean boy group Seventeen. It was released as the group's third non-album and fifth overall Japanese single through Pledis Japan on April 21, 2021. The single debuted at number one on the Oricon Singles Chart, becoming the group's second consecutive chart-topper after "Fallin' Flower" in 2020.
Background and release.
In February 2021, Pledis Entertainment announced that Seventeen would be releasing their new Japanese single "Not Alone", following the success of the group's 2020 Japanese mini-album "24H" and single "Fallin' Flower". The CD single, which includes "Not Alone" alongside the Japanese versions of the group's Korean tracks "Run To You" and "Home:Run", was marketed with six physical variations: Limited Edition A, Limited Edition B, and Limited Edition C, which each comes with a unique 36-page photo book; Limited Edition D, which comes with an M-Card; Regular Edition, which comes with a 16-page photo book; and Carat Edition, which features a special blu-ray.
"Not Alone" was digitally made available on music streaming platforms on April 15, 2021; its CD was physically released on April 21. A Korean version of the song was later released on Seventeen's greatest hits album "17 Is Right Here" on April 29, 2024.
Composition.
Continuing the theme of youth set forth by the group's previous EPs "" and "Semicolon", "Not Alone" has been described to be a song that conveys the courage and determination of those standing at the starting line of their dreams. It has further been dubbed as a song of encouragement for those "spending their youth in the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic". Relatedly, the track, which conveys the message of being connected despite being apart, has also been noted to be an ode to Seventeen's fanbase, as well as a depiction of the group's yearning to meet them in person again, following the restrictions put into place on live performances by the pandemic. 
The song was produced by Woozi, with Park Ki-Tae credited as an arranger and composer. Songwriting credits were provided to Bumzu and Woozi, while Japanese lyrics were credited to Haru.Robinson.
Music video.
The music video for "Not Alone" was released on April 18, 2021. It depicts the group's members scattered across various locations while staying remotely connected before reuniting during the video's climax. Commenting on the music video's theme, member DK shared, "There is a scene where the members, who were spending time in different places, connect via video call to celebrate my birthday. That scene left a particularly strong impression on me because it conveys the message that even though we were apart, we were not alone and were still connected."
Promotion.
On April 27, 2021, Seventeen hosted a special online fan meeting titled Hare to commemorate the single's release. A special performance of the song was aired on Asahi TV's weekly music program "Music Station" on May 7. 
Commercial performance.
In Japan, "Not Alone" debuted at number one on the "Billboard Japan" Hot 100, selling 372,913 copies in its opening week of April 19–25, 2021. In the same period, it debuted at number one on the Oricon Singles Chart, recording 315,000 units sold. It is Seventeen's second consecutive Japanese work to top the chart, after their 2020 single "Fallin' Flower" sold 334,000 copies in its first week of release. This made Seventeen the second group in history to have two consecutive singles each exceed a first-week sales total of 300,000 units, after BTS, as well as the first foreign male artist to have three consecutive singles each exceed a first-week sales total of 200,000 units.
Charts.
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References.
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