K-pop has gained immense popularity worldwide, captivating fans with its catchy melodies, energetic performances, and charismatic idols. One of the driving forces behind the success of this genre is the boy groups who continue to capture audiences with their talent and charm. With their catchy songs, infectious melodies, and visually stunning music videos, they have captivated fans worldwide and have become household names. So, if you are interested in knowing whether your favorite groups come under the top 10 or not, below are the top 10 most streamed K-pop boy groups on Spotify.
1. BTS
BTS is a group of Korean boy groups. You might remember them from their 2013 debut. A total of seven individuals—RM, Jin, Suga, J-hope, Jimin, V, and Junkook—make up the group. As the first Korean group to have a track, "Mic Drop," certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), BTS broke into the American music industry and ushered in the Korean Wave. Their debut studio album, Love Yourself: Tear, became the first by a South Korean group to reach number one on the Billboard 200. With their Grammy-nominated hit Dynamite, they made history by becoming the first all-South Korean act to top the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Global 200. They were the first act since Justin Timberlake in 2006 to have four US number one singles in a row with the release of Savage Love, Life Goes On, Butter, and Permission to Dance, their subsequent albums. In addition to becoming the first album in South Korea to achieve four and five million registered sales, their 2020 studio album Map of the Soul: 7 is the third best-selling album of all time. A press release from Hybe confirming BTS's renewal of their exclusive contracts was issued on September 20, 2023.
2. EXO
The boy band EXO currently resides in South Korea. That was in 2011. Sehun, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., and Xiumin make up the nine members of the group. The Mnet Asian Music accolades presented Exo with five albums of the year in a row, and the Melon Music Awards presented Exo with two artist of the year accolades in a row. Forbes Korea Power Celebrity 40 listed the quintet among the top five most powerful celebrities. South Korean entertainment industry heavy hitters placed Exo—the highest-ranking K-pop group—at number seven on their 2015 pop culture leaders list, released in December.
3. Seventeen
The boy group Seventeen hails from South Korea. Their debut was in 2015. All all, there are twelve people in the group: S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino. Members of the idol group Seventeen contribute to various parts of their music and performances, including creating songs, producing music, and choreographing. They have now garnered six Bonsang and six Daesang, and seventeen of them received rookie prizes in their first year. The music and talent departments at MTV curate a worldwide campaign called MTV Push, and the first K-pop act to be featured on it was Seventeen. They won Push Performance of the Year and were nominated for Best K-Pop and Best New Artist at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards. In addition to winning Best New Act and Best Push Act, they were nominated for Best K-Pop at the 2022 MTV Europe Music Awards. At both ceremonies, the group became the first K-pop act to ever receive nominations and ultimately win in these categories.
4. TOMORROW X TOGETHER
TXT stands for Tomorrow X Together and is a boy band from South Korea. There was a 2019 debut. In all, Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Huening Kai make up the group. As a male K-pop trio, they achieved a record-breaking debut with their EP The Dream Chapter: Star, which reached number one on both the Gaon Album Chart and the Billboard World Albums Chart. It also entered the US Billboard 200 at number 140. Many new artist honors were bestowed upon the group as a result of their early commercial success. These included Rookie of the Year at the 34th Golden Disc honors and the 2019 Melon Music Awards, Best New Male Artist at the 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards & the New Artist of the Year at the 9th Gaon Chart Music Awards.
5. Stray Kids
This boy band from South Korea is called Stray Kids. That was in 2017. I.N., Han, Felix, Seungmin, Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, and the rest of the group make up the eight members. Released in 2020, the group's debut studio album Go Live became their first album to be certified platinum by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA). In the same year, Stray Kids debuted in Japan through Epic Records Japan with the compilation album SKZ2020. With albums released in both Korea and Japan, Stray Kids had sold over 10 million copies by October 2022. Time magazine included them on its list of Next Generation Leaders in 2023.
6. ENHYPEN
The boy group ENHYPEN hails from South Korea. Launched in 2020. Everyone from Heeseung and Jay to Jake and Sunghoon and Sunoo and Jungwon and Ni-ki makes up the group of seven. The group took home the prize for Next Leader at the 2020 Fact Music Awards just two weeks after making their debut. The Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) certified Border: Day One as platinum in February 2021, marking the group's first certification in the nation. The US Billboard 200 chart saw Border: Carnival's debut on May 25 at position number eighteen.
7. ATEEZ
ATEEZ is a boy band from South Korea. This was their 2018 debut. San, Mingi, Wooyoung, Jongho, Hongjoong, Yunho, Yeosang, and Seonghwa make up the group of eight. Among their many honors are the following: Worldwide Fans' Choice at the 2019–2020–2023, 2020–21 Mnet Asian Music Awards; the 4th Fact Music Awards' Bonsang awards (primary prize); and the 30th and 31st Seoul Music Awards. The trio has also represented Korea internationally as an official tourist and cultural ambassador.
8. NCT Dream
The boy group NCT Dream is from South Korea. There was a 2016 debut. Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung are the seven members of the group. Thanks to the financial success of their 2019 EP We Boom, NCT Dream was able to collect Bonsang prizes at the 34th Golden Disc prizes and the 2020 Seoul Music Awards, and they were also ranked among the top 10 physical sellers in the country. At the 31st Seoul Music Awards, it was won Best Album, and it became the best-selling Gaon Chart album in the first half of 2021.
9. TREASURE
A popular South Korean boy group is TREASURE. There was a 2019 debut by the group. The ten-person group comprises Choi Hyun-suk, Jihoon, Yoshi, Junkyu, Yoon Jae-hyuk, Asahi, Doyoung, Haruto, Park Jeong-woo, and So Jung-hwan. On the Billboard Korea K-pop Hot 100, Wayo debuted at number 98, while on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales, she reached a peak of 10. With six weeks of continuous charting on the Billboard Social 50 before their debut, Treasure became the quickest Korean act ever to do so.
10. BIGBANG
BANG is a group of boy bands from South Korea. They first appeared in 2006. There are three people in the group: G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung. In addition to winning Song of the Year at the 2007 Mnet Km Music Festival and the 2008 Seoul Music Awards, Lies topped the Korean music charts for an unprecedented six weeks in a row. The group went on to release four Japanese studio albums that were certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ): BigBang(2009), BigBang 2 (2011), Alive (2012), and Made Series (2016). This followed their wins at the 2008 Mnet Korean Music Festival and the 2008 Seoul Music Awards for Artist of the Year.
