From Rookie Stars to Global Icons: Here Are The Most Popular K-pop Groups of 2023

Source: Forbes

Obviously, BTS remains the most popular K-pop group of all time. The group is constantly setting new standards and records on top of their own unparalleled achievements and consistently reaching new heights never before seen in this industry. Their influence is still immeasurable. Despite the group heading towards its 10th-year activity working together, BTS’ fame has not once wavered, even as the members take a break from the group performance to enlist in the mandatory conscription. 

If you don’t know BTS's history, let me tell you briefly, BTS debuted in 2013 with three rappers, SUGA, RM, and J-Hope, and four vocalists, Jungkook, Jimin, Jin, and V. Today, each member has been closely working on their won individual identity through music. Last year, in 2022, BTS released their anthology album Proof, consisting of their biggest hits to date, with four new songs. 

Despite not launching a full studio album made up of entirely new discography, according to Spotify data, the group still managed to garner over 44 million monthly listeners in the past 28 days, proving their unbeatable popularity and solidifying their place as the current most popular K-pop group.

2. Blackpink

Source: Insider

Blackpink received an equally impressive number. I’m guessing that you too have their “Ice Cream” song in your playlist. Despite having only two studio albums, the four-member girl group earned 22 million monthly listeners in the past month solely. Blackpink group similarly to BTS, made a solid presence in K-pop from a global perspective. 

From the get-go, Lisa, Rosé, Jisoo, and Jennie brought a completely new sound to a previously bubble-gum pop-studded scene, winning the hearts of millions of fans worldwide with their unique take on the K-pop industry. Blackpink first became popular in its kickstart in 2016 via its debut stage with “BOOMBAYAH.” Even today their career start is considered one of the strongest debuts in K-pop history. 

Recently the K-pop girl group also released their second studio album Born Pink, ensuring their place as the largest female-led K-pop act on a global scale, and reaching unprecedented numbers never before seen in a girl group, only rivaled by BTS’ achievements. For all of these reasons, BLACKPINK remains the most popular girl group at the moment.

3. Twice 

Source: Rappler

Another one of the most popular K-pop groups currently collecting a larger fanbase day by day is Twice. Twice released some of K-pop’s most popular songs like “Alcohol-Free,” and “FANCY,” and became a huge sensation in the industry in recent years. 

While this group may seem like a new girl group, on par with fourth-generation groups, you’ll be surprised to know that Twice actually debuted in 2015, and in recent years, they completely started revolutionizing the South Korean music industry with their fun performance and enthralling beats.

The group is made up of a total of nine members, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu, who have all dominated and revolutionized the industry through their tunes and unparalleled moves. Twice often connected to the so-called ‘bubble gum pop,’ Its discography was previously dominated by cute concepts and girly fashion choices. 

But, despite the group has continued with similar concepts over the years, they never once became repetitive. As masters at their performance, the group’s unrivaled talent in this music genre has won over the hearts of over 10 million monthly listeners.

4. NewJeans

Source: YouTube

The hottest up-and-coming girl group, NewJeans had its debut just back in July of 2022 and has had its popularity skyrocketing to the top of the charts. With only four songs EP out and a single, the group has achieved notable numbers despite being rookies in the world of K-pop. 

As of December 2023, NewJeans gathered over nine million monthly listeners, a more than impressive feat when taking into consideration their short career. The group has five members, Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein. NewJeans, an increasingly popular girl group is also known for its young members. The oldest member,  Minji, is 18 years old, while the youngest, Hyein, is only four years younger in comparison and still in middle school. 

Regardless of their age, these girls have still conquered the new era of K-pop in a never-before-seen way. This popularity may take root for many reasons, but most of all, it all comes down to their unique take on the genre, easy-listening production, and immense talent.

5. Le Sserafim 

Source: Billboard

Another K-pop girl group that has been receiving all the buzz in the last couple of months is none other than LE SSERAFIM. The group initially had a rocky start due to Kim Garam’s sudden contract termination, but has managed to persevere despite its foreboding downfall — which never came to be. 

Le Sserafim debuted in May, and despite its short discography comprised of two EPs and a single, its monthly listeners are more than nine million. Previously a sextet, the group turned into a five-member group a mere month later. Le Sserafim’s members, Chaewon, Sakura, Yunjin, Kazuha, and Eunchae, also have one of the youngest K-pop idols actively working, Eunchae at 16 years old. Despite the age gap among members, the group has proven their worth with their songs’ popularity, time and time again.

6. (G)I-DLE

Source: Soompi

Since (G)I-DLE debuted in 2018, the group has quickly harbored achievements under its belt. This popular girl group has stayed on par with some of the largest names in K-pop, exemplified by their impressive first-week numbers, which always do more than expectations by matching their numbers to groups like BLACKPINK and TWICE, which by comparison, have longevity by their side. 

Similarly to other most popular K-pop groups in this list, (G)I-DLE also received a lot of attention by being directly involved in the process making of their discography, thus becoming heavily appreciated by fans as one of the most successful groups outside of “the big three.”Today, the group has five members, Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi, and Shuhua, but they debuted as a sextet with former member Soojin, who left (G)I-DLE after being at the receiving end of bullying allegations. 

Two of the members of (G)I-DLE also deputed in a virtual girl group called K/DA, alongside Madison Beer and Jaira Burns, for the creation of a “League of Legends” single.  While their popularity is constantly increasing on a global scale, (G)I-DLE has garnered over eight million monthly listeners.

7. Red Velvet 

Source: YouTube

You may be like another girls' group, but that’s true the girls are actually rocking in the K-pop industry. Red Velvet took the realm of K-pop by storm after its debut in 2014. They quickly became one of the biggest girl groups of all time, their discography received acclaimed praise for their use of 90s R&B, with elements of ballads and hip hop. 

While trying all the different music genres, including their mastering of the beloved bubblegum pop, Red Velvet became increasingly popular for its versatility, winning over eight million monthly listeners in December alone.

While the group started with four members, Red Velvet welcomed its fifth member, Yeri about a year after their debut. The group is now comprised of Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, Joy, and Yeri. Aside from their domestic popularity in their home country, Red Velvet has also been named one of the best K-pop artists by Time, and they were also the fifth most streamed K-pop artist worldwide on Spotify as of February 2020.

8. Stray Kids

Source: YouTube

Stray Kids, also known as SKZ in short, is a fourth-generation K-pop boy group that was deputed in 2018 under JYP Entertainment after taking part in the reality show led by the company. They already had a large group of fans who were following the boys as they auditioned for the company. The group swiftly became one of the most coveted male groups in K-Pop,  a particularly impressive accomplishment as they were a relatively new group made up of rookie artists. 

With two studio albums, and several EP and compilation works, Stray Kids’ successful journey begins with nine members, six vocalists, Bang Chan, Lee Know, Han, Seungmin, I.N and Woojin,  and three rappers, Changbin, Felix, and Hyunjin. However, one of the vocalists, Woojin terminated his contract and left the group for unknown reasons. Hyunjin was also not present for a certain period. Despite their rocky career, Stray Kids still managed to be one of the most popular K-pop groups in 2023, with over eight million monthly listeners.

9. TXT

Source: YouTube

Tomorrow X Together, or TXT quickie received a large following for being the second group under Bighit, which only managed BTS before venturing into other groups. This immediate association with the world’s biggest K-pop stars made eagle-eyed fans keep an eye out for this fourth-generational group. 

TXT debuted on March 2019, with the extended play (EP) The Dream Chapter: Star. They peaked at number one on the Billboard World Albums Chart and entered the US Billboard 200 at number 140 — the highest-charting debut album by any male K-pop group at the time. The group debuted with five members, consisting of Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and HueningKai, and since 2019, TXT has earned several awards for their work in the South Korean pop industry. 

Aside from their domestic success, TXT has also received plenty of attention internationally. Today, TXT has over seven million monthly listeners enthralled by their unique discography based on rhythm, blues, and dance-pop.

10. IVE

Source: YouTube

IVE, just like most of the K-pop groups on this list, is a fairly recent K-pop debut who started their musical career in 2021. This girl group has been constantly earning more fans through their pop, dance-pop, and EDM production. While their popularity is undeniably large among K-pop fans, the group has yet to have a comeback backed up by a studio album.

The group comprised six members, still managed to reach the status as one of the most popular K-pop groups, receiving over seven million listeners in December with their recent single released already in August. The members of the group, are Gaeul, Yujin, Rei, Wonyoung, Liz, and Leeseo. Before their debut, two of the members, Wonyoung and Yujin, were also a part of the popular K-Pop girl group, Iz*One, which disbanded in 2021, right before IVE took the ropes of the girl group world. 

Despite the girls having a relatively short career, they too have received a few awards to their name, becoming an acclaimed group in the K-Pop world. 

There you have the 10 most popular K-pop groups in 2023. While BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE, and Red Velvet are definitely the most popular powerhouses in the K-pop industry, the next era is definitely coming in strong, and better than ever. What do you think, what will the next era of K-pop will look like? Comment down below!

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q. Who is the No. 1 K-pop singer?

According to recent reports, BTS’ main vocalist Jungkook is the No. 1 K-pop singer. He has overtaken his own group and Blackpink to become the first K-pop artist with the most number-one songs on Spotify's global chart. As of 2023, Jungkook has emerged as the most successful K-pop artist on the global Spotify chart.

Q. Who is popular BTS or BLACKPINK?

As of December 2023, BLACKPINK is more popular than BTS and become the first K-pop music group to have 4 videos surpassing 1.5 billion views on YouTube. ‘How You Like That’  is now the first and only performance video by any artist to reach 1.5 billion views in YouTube history.

Q. Who is the most popular K-pop group? 

It’s hard to determine the most popular K-pop group, as popularity can be measured in various ways and fluctuates based on different metrics. However, based on various reports and sources, BTS emerged as the most popular K-pop group. The iconic K-pop group and its members dominated various charts like topping the Billboard Hot 100 with multiple songs.

Q. Who was the first K-pop group?

As per the sources, Seo Taiji and Boys are usually considered the pioneers of modern K-pop due to their significant impact on the genre's style and direction, while The Kim Sisters represent an earlier chapter of Korean music that contributed to its evolution.

Q. How do I join K-pop?

To join K-pop, you need to get yourself enrolled in voice and dance training. Before you audition, you’ll need to get a full two years of experience in singing and dance training. In case you’re younger than 14, you must go to your auditions with a legal guardian.

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