Bluetory

Background

After being scouted by FNC Music's casting director, Jung Yong-hwa, Lee Jong-hyun, and Kang Min-hyuk met while auditioning for the agency. The three kept in contact before being accepted by the record company. FNC Music decided to send CNBLUE to Japan "where the idea of a band is more recognized"; the band saw it as an opportunity to "improve on our skills". The quartet initially debuted there under AI Entertainment in 2009, where it released its first two independent mini-albums Now or Never and Voice. The band would perform on the streets and in small venues throughout the country. Unable to speak Japanese, the members learned the language "in order to survive out there". In late September, bassist Kwon Kwang-jin left the band due to "personal reasons" and was replaced by Lee Jung-shin later that year.

During this time period, Jung was cast in Seoul Broadcasting System's (SBS) television series You're Beautiful, where he played guitarist Kang Shin-woo in the fictional band A.N.Jell. The drama saw popularity in international markets, which fostered the growth of his popularity.

Music structure

Musically, Bluetory is a pop-rock record. Jung described it as being an alternative rock mini-album, which also incorporated hip hop, rap, and balladry. Originally sung in English for the band's Japanese mini-albums, the tracks "Y, Why...", "Now or Never", and "I Will... Forget You..." were re-recorded in Korean for inclusion on Bluetory. "Y, Why..." encompasses a "refreshing" guitar, while the latter was classified as a modern rock song with an "explosive" guitar in the chorus. Frontman Jung identified the lattermost track as the first ballad in CNBLUE's catalog.

Release and promotion

CNBLUE was dubbed "the second" F.T. Island since its inception. In early December 2009, Jung first revealed that CNBLUE was set to debut in South Korea "early" the following year. On January 5, 2010, CNBLUE's debut was announced to be on January 14. In addition to video teasers, each member was accompanied by a word that made up the acronym BLUE, which was meant to portray their individual images. The first 35-second teaser was released on January 7, which revealed Lee Jong-hyun and the word "burning". The following day, Kang Min-hyuk and the word "lovely" were revealed. The video teaser for Lee Jung-shin with the accompanying word "untouchable" was published on January 11. The fourth and final teaser featuring Jung with the word "emotional" was revealed one day prior to the release of the mini-album.

Bluetory and the lead single "I'm a Loner" were concurrently released on January 14. The band partook in an album showcase later that day at the Textile Center in the Samseong-dong area of Seoul. On the following day, CNBLUE began promoting "I'm a Loner" by performing the song on weekly music chart shows, beginning with Korean Broadcasting System's (KBS) Music Bank and SBS's Inkigayo. On the January 29 broadcast of Music Bank, CNBLUE ranked number one on program's music chart, earning the band its first music show win. CNBLUE won the Mutizen Song award on Inkigayo two days later, the band's second and final win. At the time, CNBLUE's initial win two weeks into its debut was unprecedented. It held the record for shortest amount of time to win a music show award after debut until Winner won its first music show on August 17, 2014, five days into its debut.

Performing only in Japan up to its debut, CNBLUE also sought to execute a series of guerrilla concerts in South Korea. The quartet decided to go in order of its acronym for the members' individual images (BLUE). The first performance was decided by guitarist Lee; dubbed the "Burning Street Concert", it took place in Hongdae, Seoul.

Commercial performance

On the chart dated January 10 – January 16, 2010, Bluetory debuted at number one on the Gaon Album Chart. It went on to top the chart for a second consecutive week. By the end of the year, the mini-album sold 77,183 copies and was ranked at the 12th best-selling album in South Korea. In the four years that followed, the record sold an additional 41,782 copies in the country, accumulating sales of 118,965 in total.