For any singer or musical act, their success and worth are linked to many factors such as awards, fandom size, stage presence, etc. Commercially, a singer’s popularity is directly related to the number of streams they receive and what position they hold at various streaming and popularity charts. The popularity of K-pop nowadays is unparalleled, and K-pop has come a long since Wonder Girls, with their song “Nobody” made possible the entry of K-pop numbers in international streaming charts like Billboard. Since then, K-pop has been a steady presence with the help of PSY, BTS, and BLACKPINK. Many new artists have helped cement this genre of music. Let’s take a lowdown on Korean idol groups dominating charts globally!
1. BTS
BTS has completed an incredible ten years in the singing industry, and they have been repeatedly grabbing spots on major streaming charts. The twice Grammy-nominated boy band has become synonymous with K-pop worldwide, and since their debut, they have broken over 25 Guinness World Records. Their billboard breakthrough came in 2017 when the album Love Yourself: Her debuted at #7 on Billboard Hot 200. The band’s first hot 100 came when “DNA” earned the #87 spot and peaked at #67 the following week. It also peaked at #90 on the UK charts. Since then, BTS has fifteen songs that debuted on the Billboard Hot 100.
2. BLACKPINK
BLACKPINK was a big name when it first debuted in 2016 and became mainstream. They were even considered the "OG" for they helped pave the way for K-pop to make it to the international level. Many were disheveled when their hiatus seemed permanent, but the girl group made a robust comeback with their album Born Pink. The single Pink Venom debuted at the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excel U.S. charts at the #1 position. The sophomore album peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 200 Albums charts, making BLACKPINK the first girl group to gain this accomplishment. When the album came out, more tracks held various positions on streaming charts for considerable time slots.
3. FIFTY FIFTY
FIFTY FIFTY’s success is massively due to TikTok. Their debut single, “Cupid” gained instant attention worldwide due to the phenomenon of "tiktokification". The light-hearted song about the inability to find love resonated with fans worldwide and became even more widespread when Cupid (Sped Up Version) became popularized through TikTok and Instagram reels. Cupid nabbed the #17 spot on Billboard Hot 100, where it had a 10-week extended stay. It also peaked at #8 on the UK charts, making it the first-ever K-pop song to enter the top 10 areas. Their success went even further when they featured in the Barbie soundtrack with their number "Barbie Dreams". It held the #18 position on the New Zealand Hot Singles list and the #81 on the South Korea Download list.
4. New Jeans
New Jeans was a relatively newer K-pop artist when they made history by entering the Billboard Hot 100 list. Their single Ditto, released in late December 2022, racked up streams and went on to chart in many streaming charts. Domestically, “Ditto” joined South Korea's Circle Digital Chart at #13 and maintained its position for 13 weeks, which was a first in the chart’s history. It peaked at Billboard Vietnam Hot 100 and finally entered at #96 on the Billboard Hot 100 streaming chart. With this accomplishment, New Jeans became the fourth girl group to have a song enter the prestigious Billboard Hot 100. New Jeans is considered the fastest Korean act to debut on the Billboard Hot 100, a feat they accomplished just a month after the song’s release.
5. Stray Kids
The JYP-backed boy band made their pre-debut in 2018 with the extended play Mixtape, followed by their debut EP “I Am Not” two months later. The band experienced more success when their full-length studio album Go Live received a platinum certification from the Korea Music Content Association. As the band’s popularity increased, they signed up with Republic Records in 2022 to help publicize their albums in the U.S. Following this decision, subsequent works, EPs Oddinary and Maxident, and the studio album 5-Star, made their way to US Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Charts.
6. (G)I-DLE
Even without the backing of the “top 4” biggest record labels in South Korea. (G)I-DLE is one of the most successful girl groups today. The Quintet (originally a sextet) debuted in 2018 with their single Latata. Their popularity is massively owed to the fact that all members are equally involved in the music production process. In May 2023, the girl group grabbed the top spot at the Emerging Artists List, following the release of their extended play “I Feel”. One of their most commercially successful songs is Queencard, which became popularized for its inspiring lyrics, catchy beats, and outstanding choreography. Queencard was most popular in major Asian countries such as Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, where it peaked in the top ten on Billboard's Hits of the World charts and on the US World Digital Song Sales.
7. TOGETHER X TOMORROW (TXT)
TXT has been dominating various streaming charts since their debut. Their debut work, the extended play The Dream Chapter: Star, entered the Billboard Hot 200 at #147, a feat unheard of from a then-unknown boy band. The EP also made its mark on other charts, such as the Gaon Album Chart and Billboard World Albums Chart, where it peaked at #1 on both. In 2023, their album The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION earned them their first #1 on Billboard Hot 200. Subsequent albums brought forth more fans and, as a result, more streams, which helped them snag various spots in streaming charts. Owing to their success, they headlined at the prestigious Lollapalooza Music Fest.
8. Ateez
The K-pop band is the first Korean act to be certified platinum in the country owing to their fifth extended play (EP), Zero: Fever Part 1. Their EPS like Treasure EP.Fin: All to Action, Treasure Epilogue: Action to Answer, Zero: Fever Part.1, Zero: Fever Part.2, Zero: Fever Epilogue, The World EP.1: Movement, and The World EP.2: Outlaw all have topped South Korea’s Gaon Album Chart. In June of 2023, they topped the iTunes global charts with the EP THE WORLD EP.2: OUTLAW and dominated various sales charts.
9. Aespa
Aespa has a colossal fandom consisting of both domestic and international fans. Their debut music video of the song “Black Mamba” racked up around 20 million views within the first 24 hours of its release, making them the fastest girl group to achieve this feat. Their second single became an immediate success and grabbed #1 spots on both Kpop Hot 100 and Circle Digital Chart. They made their billboard debut with their first extended play, Savage, which went on to be included in the top 40 category in the Billboard Global 200.
10. IVE
The sextet formed under the Starship Entertainment label is most famous for exploring of self-love in their songs and for the catchy tunes often utilized in their tracks. Following their debut in 2021, their song Love Dive peaked at #1 on the Circle Digital Chart and also went on to nab four prestigious awards. “Love Dive” was also the first song of IVE to gain a position at the Billboard Excl. US Chart.
