As K-Pop becomes more popular worldwide, views on K-Pop music videos have been skyrocketing. Gone are the days where it’s unusual for a Korean pop song to get hundreds of millions of views, now that the genre is more mainstream and loved by so many around the globe. Here’s a look back at the current 30 K-Pop music videos with the most views on Youtube. 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.
There’s one thing we’re sure you already know though, and its the fact that kpop groups, with their combination of catchy tunes, impeccably-choreographed videos, intriguing storylines, ever-changing hair colors and attractive members – have already captured the global imagination.
Big Kpop management companies like BigHit Entertainment (home of BTS and TXT); SM Entertainment (including artists such as EXO, NCT, Red Velvet, and SuperM); JYP Entertainment (home of TWICE, Stray Kids, and ITZY); Pledis Entertainment (SEVENTEEN and NU’EST‘s label); and YG Entertainment (which includes BLACKPINK, TREASURE, iKON, and WINNER).
What is ‘ KPOP ‘?
Kpop (short for Korean popular music) is a genre of popular music originating in South Korea. It is influenced by styles and genres from around the world, such as experimental, rock, jazz, gospel, hip hop, R&B, reggae, electronic dance, folk, country, and classical on top of its traditional Korean music roots. The more modern form of the genre emerged with the formation of one of the earliest K-pop groups, Seo Taiji and Boys, in 1992. Their experimentation with different styles and genres of music and integration of foreign musical elements helped reshape and modernize South Korea’s contemporary music scene.
Modern K-pop “idol” culture began with enormous fandoms of teenagers and young adults from in and outside of South Korea ‘stanning; their favourite kpop groups. After a slump in early K-pop, from 2003 TVXQ and BoA started a new generation of K-pop idols that broke the music genre into the neighboring Japanese market and continue to popularize K-pop internationally today.
Here’s a list of the 20 most viewed Kpop music videos of all time.
20. PSY’s “Daddy” ft. CL (2015)- 556 million
19. BTS’ “Save ME” (2016)- 571 million
18. TWICE’s “TT” (2016) – 574 million
17. BTS’ “DOPE” (2015) – 629 million
16. Blackpink’s “Playing with Fire” (2016)- 633 million
15. Blackpink’s “Whistle” (2016)- 638 million
14. BTS’ “Fire” (2018)- 684 million
13. BTS’ “Blood Sweat and Tears” (2016)- 715 million
12. BTS’ “Idol” (2018)- 878 million
11. BTS’ “Mic Drop” (2017)- 887 million
10. BTS’ “Fake Love” (2018)- 892 million
9. BTS’ “Dynamite” (2020)- 959 million
8. Blackpink’s “As If It’s Your Last” (2017)- 983 million
7. Blackpink’s “Boombayah” (2016)- 1.14 billion
6. BTS’ “Boy With Luv” (2019)- 1.18 billion
5. BTS’ “DNA” (2017)- 1.23 billion
4. Blackpink’s “Kill This Love” (2019)- 1.24 billion
3. PSY’s “Gentleman” (2013)- 1.39 billion
2. Blackpink’s “DDU DU DDU DU” (2018)- 1.53 billion
1. Psy’s “Gangnam Style” (2012) – 4.02 billion
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