Kpop

Since BTS's debut in 2013, they have grown in popularity and are constantly creating music that fans all over the world want to listen to. They have grown a loyal following through their music, performance, social media, and fans. BTS has broken more records than we can count and continue to break records even today. There is also a lot of high-quality BTS merchandise out there from clothing to accessories. Therefore it was very difficult to narrow it down to the top 10. Those interested in purchasing any of the BTS merch listed below. Make sure to use this link to get up to 40% off on all BTS merchandise.

It is called Hallyu (The Korean Wave) and it is taking over the globe at a furious pace. It is shocking to think that Korean pop culture has grown so big that it is a major player in global culture now. Some of the best Korean dramas are now on Netflix, BTS was on Saturday Night Live, Parasite won multiple Oscars including Best Picture, and the skincare industry is now dominated by K-Beauty. However at the core of Hallyu is, of course, K-Pop which stands for Korean pop music. K-Pop has become a truly global obsession with fans from all across the world that can't get enough of it. There are many English-based K-Pop news sites that do a great job of breaking the top trending news about Hallyu.

Videos that are going viral in 2021 seem to be all coming from TikTok. The micro-vlogging app is now one of the hottest social media platforms both to consume and create content. TikTok's has over 250 million active users who are actively engaging with the platform. Therefore it is no wonder you are starting to see more and more K-pop Entertainment companies creating TikTok accounts for their idols. Therefore, K-pop Idols on TikTok have some of the biggest followers on the platform.

Kpop is taking to social media in a very big way. BTS and BLACKPINK have proved that social media channels like YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram are the best ways to go global. Korean startups can learn a lot from how many Kpop entertainment companies are using these global social media platforms. Many Kpop entertainment companies train their artists on how to manage their social media channels. Many big idol groups like Big Bang, EXO, SNSD, BTS, and BLACKPINK have their own social media accounts. It is a part of the entertainment company's marketing strategy and a way for idols to connect with their fans. This article will focus on Instagram and the top Kpop Idols on Instagram. A great way to estimate the cost for a sponsored post by an influencer can be found here. 

Kpop fans all around the world are very loyal. They are so loyal they will buy almost anything online related to their favorite Kpop group or star. Even some of the most useless Kpop Merchandise is selling! South Korean Kpop merchandise sales were at an all-time high in 2020 at over $150 million. As more and more people are staying home due to COVID-19, sales of K-pop merchandise is sure to go up in 2021.

PSY’s Gangnam Style has now crossed 3.8 billion views on YouTube. This makes Gangnam Style the most-watched Kpop Video ever and it is not even close. This is saying a lot since Kpop has been growing in popularity for many years before Gangnam Style came out. Since YouTube’s launch back in 2005, YouTube has continued to grow. Now nearly 6 billion videos are watched each day with people uploading close to 400 hours of video to YouTube every minute. Kpop accounts for less than 1% of YouTube’s content. Yet it gets close to 5% of the views. Clearly, a lot of people, not just Koreans, watch Kpop music videos on YouTube. 

EXO was formed back in 2011 and made its debut in 2012 under SM Entertainment. The group was divided into two groups (EXO-K and EXO-M) but promoted the same music. One group performed in China while the other group performed in South Korea. Therefore EXO songs are available in both Mandarin and Korean. By 2016, EXO was the biggest Kpop group in the world and gained the nickname of the Kings of Kpop. Their single “Monster” was able to hit #1 on the Billboard World Digital Songs Chart. In 2018, EXO performed at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. They began endorsing many brands such as Samsung, Nature Republic, and even had an endorsement deal with Star Wars.