South Korean contemporary pop music, popularly known as K-Pop, today has become a large trend in recent years. It appears to be playing a crucial role in transforming the Korean cultural identities. The way of K-Pop and their style is simply one of a kind. Besides being a musical movement, K-Pop uses a combination of rhythm, performance, race, and gender in an ingenious way. Their visual acts as well as the concepts they sustain throughout the performance are outstanding. K-pop was and continues to be known for its remarkable personality in performances.
Furthermore, it’s known for its fusion of addictive melodies, highly sophisticated choreography, and also slick production values. The never-ending parade of endearing personalities of South Korean artists that spend a substantial amount of time in the studio system wherein learning to sing and dance is the process for improvement. One of the main reasons why K-pop is influencing the world is its dedication and consistency.
K-pop dominates other musical industries due to its emphasis on the idol-fan system. It forges a sense of togetherness in people all around the world. It provides them with a sense of belonging. In a nutshell, it can be said that their individuality stands beautifully. The popularity of Kpop extends beyond the songs themselves. It’s the wild and crazy music videos, the dancing, the live performances, and the singers’ personalities and their relationships with one another.
13. Jay Park
The ‘hustle king’ of k-pop, Park-Jae Beom, popularly known by his stage name Jay Park is one of the most famous Korean-American rappers, a singer and songwriter. Born in Edmonds, Washington, Park came to fame as the leader of the South Korean boy band ‘2 pm’ under JYP Entertainment in 2008. His first EP, ‘count on me,’ started his solo career and topped the Korean charts upon its release. And ever since, his work had been on billboard charts every now and then. Among his most well-known works are the mini-album ‘Take a deeper look’ and the song ‘Demon.’
12. Psy
‘Viral star of 2012’, Park Jae-sang, popularly known as Psy, is a South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Psy rose to fame with his music video ‘Gangnam Style’ that became a worldwide sensation making it the first video in Youtube’s history to exceed more than one billion. Due to its catchy music and rhythm, even now, after ten years’ Gangnam Style’ receives love all over the world.
Psy debuted in 2001 with his album ‘Psy from the psycho world! which earned him the nickname “The Bizzare Singer” due to his album’s inappropriate content- blunt lyrics and peculiar dance moves. But with his sheer amount of hard work, Psy has come a long way from being called ‘the Bizzare Singer’ to the ‘King of Youtube’.
11. HyunA
‘Loewe’s Newest Global Ambassador’, Kim Hyun-ah is a South Korean singer-songwriter, rapper, and model. Born in Seoul, South Korea, she debuted in February 2007 as a member of the girl group Wonder Girls before joining another girl group, 4Minute, through Cube Entertainment. HyunA debuted her solo career in January 2010 with the track called as ‘Change’, it performed really well on numerous charts. With 2,469,354 copies sold, it ranked fourteenth on the Gaon 2010 digital annual chart.
Her other singles include ‘Love Parade’ and ‘Outlaw in the Wind’. She’s also released several EP, some of the famous ones are – “I’m not cool”, “A+” and “A’wesome”.
10. Sunmi
‘Ambassador for PUMA Korea’, Lee Sun-mi, better known by her stage name Sunmi is a South Korean singer, dancer, and songwriter. Born in Iksan, South Korea, she is one of the richest singing idols in the industry and a former member of the South Korean girl group ‘Wonder Girl’. She began her career as a soloist in August 2013 with the release of a track titled ’24 Hours,’ which earned her an all-kill on music charts. Soon after, in February 2014, her first EP ‘Full Moon’ was launched, which made it to number two on the Gaon Digital Chart and number three on Billboard’s K-pop Hot 100. Among her most well-known works are ‘Gashina’, ‘Siren’ and ‘Heroine’.
9. Jay B
Known as ‘The Best Leader’ given how he’s always covered up for his bandmates while in need without any hesitation, Lim Jae-beom, professionally known by his stage name Jay B is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and actor. Born in Siheung, South Korea, Jay B is the leader of the South Korean boy band group Got7, a member of the boy band duo JJ project and sub-unit Jus2, along with a member of the R&B soul crew Offshore. He began his solo career in August 2021 with ‘Switch it Up’, which debuted on the Billboard R&B Digital Song Sales Chart at number six, making him the first Korean soloist to enter this chart.
Among his most well-known songs are ‘B.T.W’ and ‘Sunset with you’. Apart from being a singer, Jay B is also notable for working in different dramas, television shows as well as some Radio shows.
8. Kai
‘Human Gucci’, Kim Jong-in, popularly known by his stage name Kai, is a South Korean singer, model, actor, and dancer. Born in Suncheon, South Korea, Kai is a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy group Exo, its sub-unit Exo-K, and South Korean supergroup Super M who is undoubtedly recognized for his fashion savvy and the head-to-toe styles he wears.
Kai started up his solo career in November 2020 with the debut of his first EP, ‘Kai,’ and proved himself worthy of his fans’ admiration by fulfilling their dream of him to be an exceptional soloist. Soon after, he released his second EP ‘Peaches’ in November 2020, which was a huge success. Due to his massive fan base, Kai in October 2020, was announced to have become the first-ever male muse of the cosmetics brand Bobbi Brown.
Aside from his musical career, Kai has been in a number of popular television dramas, including Choco Bank (2016), Andante (2017), and Spring Has Come (2018).
Kai in his second EP- ‘Peaches’
7. Suga
‘BTS’s Swag Master’, Min Yoon-gi, professionally known by his stage name Suga and Agust D, is a South Korean rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Buk District, Daegu, South Korea, Suga is a member of the famous South Korean boy band BTS that debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment.
In 2016, Suga debuted as a soloist with his first mixtape AgustD which was a huge success. The second album, ‘D-2’, released in May 2020, received so much love all over the world, making Suga the first South Korean soloist to enter the U.S. Spotify artist chart. ‘D-2’ also landed at No.11 on the Billboard 200 rankings, No.7 on the Official UK Chart, and No.2 on the ARIA chart, creating 3 new milestones for the highest-ranking mixtape by a Korean soloist in the US, UK, and Australia.
Besides his solo album, SUGA has also collaborated with various artists not only aa a rapper but also as a producer like Halsey for ‘SUGA’s Interlude’, MAX for ‘Burn It’ and ‘Blueberry Eyes’, IU for ‘eight’, SURAN for ‘So Far Away’ and ‘WINE’ to mention a few.
6. RM
‘God of Destruction’, Kim Nam-joon, popularly known as RM, is a South Korean rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Dongjak District, Seoul, South Korea, RM is one of the most successful Korean musicians of all time and is the leader of the famous K-pop idol group ‘BTS’ that debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. Because of his consistent habit of destroying items inadvertently, such as breaking glasses, chains, the floor, lights, cameras, and toys, and then almost burning the members when turning on a stove while they were enjoying Korean barbecue, his bandmates nicknamed him ‘God of Destruction.’
RM released his debut solo mixtape, ‘RM’ in March 2015, which rated 48th on Spin’s list of the “50 Best Hip Hop Albums of 2015”. ‘Mono’, his second mixtape, was the highest-charting album by a Korean soloist on the Billboard 200 chart in October 2018, ranked number 26.
5. Rose
‘Korea’s golden voice’, Roseanne Park, professionally known as Rose, is a Korean-based New Zealand singer and dancer. Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Rose debuted as a member of the girl group ‘Blackpink’ via YG Entertainment in August 2016. Following the footsteps of her role model Taeyang of Big bang and inspiration Tori Kelly, Rose has established herself as an exceptionally successful singer.
She started off her solo career with the single album R, which made her the first Korean female soloist to sell 448,089 copies in her first week of release. Her lead single ‘On the ground’ also debuted as number one on the Billboard Global 200 as well as Global Excl. U.S. charts.
4. Taehyung
‘The King of Duality’, Kim Taehyung, professionally known by his stage name V is a South Korean singer and songwriter. Born in Seo District, Daegu, South Korea, V was the ‘Secret Member’ of the boy band BTS formed by Big Hit Entertainment in 2010. V made his debut as a solo artist by releasing his single ‘Scenery’, which centered on the notion of the flaneur. It was immensely adored and appreciated by his followers worldwide. ‘Scenery’ broke the daily streaming record nine times in the two weeks after its release.
Another single, ‘Christmas Tree,’ which was released on December 24, debuted at number 79 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning V his first solo entry. Besides this V has also acted in a supporting role in KBS2’s famous historical drama Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth.
3. J-Hope
‘The Sunshine of BTS’, Jung Ho-Seok was popularly known by his stage name J-Hope is a South Korean rapper, songwriter, dancer, and record producer. Born in Buk District, Gwangju, South Korea, J-Hope is a member of the famous South Korean boy band BTS that debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment.
J-Hope started off his solo career in 2018 by releasing his first solo mixtape, ‘Hope World’, worldwide in March 2018, which debuted at number 63 and climbed up to number 38 on the Billboard 200, making him the highest-charting Korean solo act on the chart up to that time. It also rated third on the Emerging Artists Chart and 97th on the Artist 100 Chart for the week of March 10, eventually peaking at number 91 for the week of March 17, making J-Hope the fifth Korean artist and the second Korean soloist after Psy to reach on the Artist 100.
Being a former dancer, J-hope often ends up catching attention owing to his superb skills while performing as a member of BTS.
2. Lisa
‘Thai Goddess’, Lalisa Manobal, better known by her stage name Lisa is a Korean-Thai rapper, singer, and dancer. Born in Buriram, Thailand, Lisa debuted as a member of the girl group ‘Blackpink’ via YG Entertainment in August 2016.
In early 2019, Lisa was titled muse of Hedi Slimane, the artistic, creative, and image director for Celine, a French luxury brand. A year later in late 2020, Lisa released her single album Lalisa, which made her the first Korean female soloist to sell 736,000 copies in her first week of release. Given her rising popularity, she was eventually chosen as the global ambassador of ‘Celine.’
Furthermore, the music video of the lead song ‘Lalisa’ recorded 73.6 million views on YouTube in the first 24 hours of its release, marking it as the most viewed music video in 24 hours on the YouTube platform by a soloist.
1. IU
‘Nation’s Sweetheart’, Lee Ji-eun, professionally known by her stage name IU is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and actress. Born in Songjeong-dong, Seoul, South Korea, she is widely adored idol in the industry. Despite that IU had a rocky start, taking a look to back in 2008 when she released her debut single “Lost Child” it was an utter fail because of her inexperience. Her struggles and hurdles have kept her grounded to this day and are the reason why most youth relates to her journey worldwide.
In 2010, IU earned global attention for the first track, ‘Good Day’ of her ‘Real’ album. IU also topped the charts on the music programs M! Countdown, Music Bank, and Inkigayo for the same. IU is known for the versatility within her acting gigs and songs, she undoubtedly can pull off anything- may it be a different genre or any peculiar concept. She is known for singing in a way that the song stays on the mind of people despite the difference of age group among the listeners.
