BTS is currently the most popular K-pop group in the world, with BLACKPINK and Stray Kids not too far behind. These groups have really done a good job that the K-pop turned it into a proper global phenomenon.
The Korean Wave isn’t just some trend anymore, like it used to; people really love and enjoy K-pop.
In this article, you’ll come to know about their chart performance, Spotify followers, album sales, and social media in 2025. We’ve used real numbers and actual data to give you the most accurate picture.
Which Is The Most Popular K-pop group Worldwide?
BTS is currently the Most Popular Kpop group globally. They’ve got 24.6% of worldwide preference according to the 2025 Overseas Korean Wave Survey, and over 81 million people follow them on Spotify. That’s insane.
BLACKPINK comes in second with 12.3% global preference and 56 million Spotify followers, which is still massive. Both groups have gone way beyond just being K-pop acts; they’re legitimate international superstars now!
They’ve been nominated for Grammys, sold out stadiums on every continent, and even with BTS members doing their military service and both groups working on solo stuff, their popularity hasn’t dropped at all.
Top 10 Most Popular Kpop Groups In 2025
We have looked at streaming numbers, album sales, and social media stats to put together these rankings.
Here’s what the data shows for 2025:
| Rank | Group | Type | Debut Year | Key Achievement 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BTS | Boy Group | 2013 | 81M Spotify followers, 2026 comeback announced |
| 2 | BLACKPINK | Girl Group | 2016 | 56M Spotify followers, Deadline World Tour |
| 3 | Stray Kids | Boy Group | 2018 | Rose to #4 on Spotify, Coachella performers |
| 4 | SEVENTEEN | Boy Group | 2015 | Self-producing powerhouse, 13 members |
| 5 | TWICE | Girl Group | 2015 | Nation’s Girl Group, strong Japan fanbase |
| 6 | ENHYPEN | Boy Group | 2020 | Rapid 4th gen rise, global tours |
| 7 | aespa | Girl Group | 2020 | AI concept innovators, “Savage” hitmakers |
| 8 | TOMORROW X TOGETHER | Boy Group | 2019 | HYBE’s rising stars, genre-blending tracks |
| 9 | IVE | Girl Group | 2021 | 4th gen leaders, “I Am” viral success |
| 10 | NewJeans | Girl Group | 2022 | Viral sensation, fresh Y2K aesthetic |
What’s interesting about these rankings is that you can see how diverse K-pop has become. You’ve got the third-generation legends still holding strong, but these fourth-generation groups are rising super fast.
Let’s get into each group in more detail.
1. BTS (2013)
| Group Members | RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, Jungkook |
| Spotify Monthly Listeners | 24,923,703 |
| Key Achievement 2025 | 81M Spotify followers, 2026 full group comeback announced |
BTS basically started the whole global K-pop explosion. What makes them different is how real they are; their lyrics talk about mental health, society’s pressures, all the stuff young people actually deal with.
They were the first Korean act to get nominated for a Grammy. Multiple number-ones on the Billboard Hot 100. They just broke every barrier.
That authenticity is what ARMY (their fandom) connects with so deeply.
BTS doesn’t just make music; they create these emotional connections with millions of fans worldwide. And ARMY? They’re probably the most dedicated, powerful fandom in the entire music industry. No joke.
2. BLACKPINK (2016)
| Group Members | Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, Lisa |
| Spotify Monthly Listeners | 27,597,816 |
| Key Achievement 2025 | 56M Spotify followers, Deadline World Tour generating record revenue |
BLACKPINK changed what girl groups could be. They’re fierce, fashion-forward, and their performances are absolutely explosive.
They became the highest-charting female K-pop act on Billboard and were the first K-pop girl group at Coachella, which was huge.
Each member is a brand ambassador for luxury fashion houses such as Chanel, Dior, Celine, and Bulgari. Their music hits hard, the production is minimalist but powerful, and you know a BLACKPINK song when you hear it.
3. Stray Kids (2018)
| Group Members | Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, I.N |
| Spotify Monthly Listeners | 11,045,333 |
| Key Achievement 2025 | Reached #4 globally on Spotify, Coachella 2025 performers |
Stray Kids are leading the fourth generation, and they do everything themselves. Their 3RACHA unit (Bang Chan, Changbin, Han) writes and produces all their music.
Their sound mixes hip-hop, EDM, and rock; it’s experimental and bold, which is why international fans love them.
They tour constantly across North America, Europe, and Asia. Their “noise music” style has these aggressive beats and complex layers that really appeal to Western alternative music fans.
Felix’s super deep voice and the fact that several members speak English fluently? That definitely helped them break through internationally.
4. SEVENTEEN (2015)
| Group Members | S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, Dino |
| Spotify Monthly Listeners | 6,309,785 |
| Key Achievement 2025 | Self-producing powerhouse with consistent million-plus album sales |
SEVENTEEN has 13 members, which sounds crazy, but they make it work with their three-unit system: Hip-hop, Vocal, and Performance units. Woozi produces most of their music, so they have this consistent sound that’s totally theirs.
When 13 people dance in perfect sync, doing these intricate formations? It’s honestly legendary. SEVENTEEN keeps things bright and energetic, which makes them super accessible for people just getting into K-pop.
5. TWICE (2015)
| Group Members | Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, Tzuyu |
| Spotify Monthly Listeners | 25,553,056 |
| Key Achievement 2025 | Maintained “Nation’s Girl Group” status with powerful Japan market dominance |
TWICE dominated the third generation with these super catchy, bright songs that defined the “color pop” era.
JYP Entertainment’s nine-member group was huge in Korea first, multiple songs hit over 100 million streams, then they went global with English releases and world tours.
Having Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese members helped them expand across Asia naturally. I remember when they created these “point choreography” moments that went viral before TikTok was even a thing.
And they’ve evolved too, started with cute concepts, now they’re doing more mature, sophisticated music. That growth kept their original fans while bringing in older audiences.
6. ENHYPEN (2020)
| Group Members | Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, Ni-ki |
| Spotify Monthly Listeners | 9,761,306 |
| Key Achievement 2025 | Rapid fourth-generation ascent with an extensive global touring schedule |
ENHYPEN came from the I-LAND survival show, so people were already invested before they even debuted. HYBE positioned them as the next big thing with this dark vampire mythology concept that’s pretty unique.
The group includes Korean-American, Korean-Australian, and Japanese members, so they naturally speak multiple languages.
They tour constantly across North America and Asia, which has built them these strong regional fanbases that keep streaming their music and buying albums.
7. aespa (2020)
| Group Members | Karina, Giselle, Winter, Ningning |
| Spotify Monthly Listeners | 10,545,464 |
| Key Achievement 2025 | AI concept innovators revolutionizing K-pop’s technological integration |
aespa has the wildest concept in K-pop. Each member has an AI avatar that exists in this parallel digital world.
SM Entertainment went all in on technology, virtual performances, metaverse content, and storylines that blend reality and digital. It’s ambitious.
Their music blends hyperpop, aggressive EDM, and experimental stuff that challenges traditional K-pop. “Next Level” and “Savage” were everywhere because the hooks are so addictive.
8. TOMORROW X TOGETHER (2019)
| Group Members | Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun, Huening Kai |
| Spotify Monthly Listeners | 6,878,154 |
| Key Achievement 2025 | HYBE’s rising stars excelling in genre experimentation |
TXT debuted as HYBE’s first group after BTS, so expectations were massive. But they created their own identity with vulnerable storytelling about youth.
They’re more “boy next door” than the typical masculine K-pop style, which makes them relatable. They switch between emo-rock, indie-pop, electronic, and R&B; their range is impressive.
Music critics actually pay attention to them because they experiment with unconventional song structures.
9. IVE (2021)
| Group Members | Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, Wonyoung, Liz, Leeseo |
| Spotify Monthly Listeners | 6,212,199 |
| Key Achievement 2025 | Fourth-generation leaders with viral “I Am” success |
IVE won on music shows with their debut song “Eleven,” which is super rare for rookies. Starship Entertainment gave them these confident, empowering concepts that younger generations really respond to.
Wonyoung was already famous from IZ*ONE, which gave them instant recognition. Their production is sophisticated but accessible; it’s mainstream in the best way.
Songs like “I Am” with that self-love message generated tons of social media engagement and fit perfectly with current conversations about confidence and being yourself.
10. NewJeans (2022)
| Group Members | Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, Hyein |
| Spotify Monthly Listeners | 14,047,606 |
| Key Achievement 2025 | Viral phenomenon with groundbreaking Y2K aesthetic revival |
NewJeans disrupted everything. ADOR didn’t do the traditional pre-debut hype; they just dropped the group with this fresh Y2K aesthetic and Jersey club sound that felt completely different from other K-pop. People noticed immediately.
They went viral organically on TikTok and streaming platforms without aggressive promotion. That proves that authentic artistic vision still matters, even in a saturated market.
Their performance style is natural and effortless, very “girl next door”, which contrasts with the usual super-polished K-pop standard. Producer 250’s sound is instantly recognizable. You hear it and you know it’s NewJeans.
Most Popular Kpop Groups Of All Time
BTS and BIGBANG are generally considered the most popular K-pop groups of all time when you look at overall cultural impact and what they’ve accomplished.
BTS took K-pop global in a way nobody had before; they actually broke through in Western markets. BIGBANG defined what modern K-pop looks like during the second and third generations, especially in terms of artistic direction and fashion.
Both groups went beyond music to become cultural ambassadors. The members have found success in entertainment, fashion, and business, and they have permanently elevated K-pop’s legitimacy worldwide.
How We Ranked Most Popular K-pop Groups
We used real, verifiable data to make sure these rankings are accurate and not just based on opinions. The main sources were Spotify follower counts and monthly listeners as of October 2025, which show real-time global listening patterns.
We also looked at Circle Chart album sales, Billboard chart performance, YouTube views, and Instagram engagement. The 2025 Overseas Korean Wave Survey gave us statistically significant preference data.
Plus, we considered Grammy nominations, MTV VMA wins, stadium tour attendance, and documented cultural impact through media coverage and collaborations with artists outside K-pop.
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Conclusion: BTS Is The Most Popular K-pop Group In 2025
BTS and BLACKPINK are still on top, but these fourth-generation groups, Stray Kids, NewJeans, and IVE, are rising fast and showing how much K-pop continues to evolve. This ranking shows how diverse K-pop really is now.
Each group brings something different, and together they’re expanding K-pop’s influence worldwide.
Whether you’re brand new to K-pop or you’ve been a fan for years, these ten groups represent the best talent, production, and cultural relevance in 2025.
FAQs
BTS is the most popular K-pop group globally, with 24.6% worldwide preference and 81 million Spotify followers.
BTS, BLACKPINK, and Stray Kids are currently the top three based on streaming numbers, social media engagement, and global tours in 2025.
BTS has bigger overall global popularity with 81 million Spotify followers compared to BLACKPINK’s 56 million.
BTS holds the number one spot in K-pop globally.
The top three most popular K-pop groups in 2025 are BTS (24.9M monthly listeners), BLACKPINK (27.5M monthly listeners), and Stray Kids (11M monthly listeners).
