BLACKPINK and BTS Solidify Their Status as “Living Legends” of K-Pop’s Third Generation

As part of Star News’ 21st-anniversary special feature, the current standing of K-Pop’s third-generation idols in 2025 was examined. These idols, who made their Debut in the early to mid-2010s, surpassed the challenges and trial-and-error periods experienced by first- and second-generation artists by crossing the starting line and astonishing everyone by ranking not only at the top of their class but also at the very top nationwide in the global music industry. **BLACKPINK: Unprecedented Success Records** Debuted in 2016, BLACKPINK lived up to the label of “an unprecedented rookie group” by setting a new standard for K-Pop girl groups. Composed of members with impressive backgrounds—Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa—they overcame criticisms that YG Entertainment had overhyped them by proving their talent and beauty, even earning the reputation of being “YG’s most reliable Trainees.” BLACKPINK’s global influence is evident in concrete numbers. The group has entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart a total of 10 times, reaching as high as 13th place in 2020 with “Ice Cream” featuring Selena Gomez. In their solo activities, Rosé reached 3rd place with “APT.,” Jennie reached 51st with “One of the Girls,” and Lisa reached 70th with “ROCKSTAR.” They have also entered the Billboard 200 chart 4 times in total, achieving first place in 2022 with “Pink Venom” (their second studio album), making them the first K-Pop girl group to do so. On social media, they remain absolutely dominant. Their official Instagram account has 58.62 million followers, the second highest in South Korea. Among the individual member accounts, Lisa leads with 167.01 million followers, followed by Jennie at 88.04 million, Rosé at 84.51 million, and Jisoo at 79.87 million, all demonstrating their global influence. Their official Spotify account ranks second in South Korea, first among all girl groups globally, and 20th among all artists (with 55.04 million followers). They have also set a Guinness World Record for cumulative streams at 1.38 billion. Their YouTube channel has the highest number of subscribers among all artists (98.5 million), and 12 of their music videos have surpassed 300 million views. Starting to establish their global dominance in 2019 with “Kill This Love,” BLACKPINK transformed the landscape of K-Pop girl groups by embracing a bold sense of sexuality. They reached the pinnacle of this standard with “How You Like That” and “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” in 2020, and despite attempts by later entrants to imitate their style, it proved difficult to match their impact and scale. **BTS: True “Living Legends”** The industry agrees that K-Pop’s global achievements cannot be discussed without mentioning BTS. Debuted on June 12, 2013, they became a symbol of national pride by setting a world record that has been repeatedly cited, surpassing even the Beatles. Even after two contract renewals, a military service hiatus, and passing their 10th anniversary, they are still preparing for a team album Comeback next year and are regarded as true “Living Legends.” BTS’s world record achievements are truly unprecedented. They are the first Korean singer to reach first place on the Billboard 200 chart (“Love Yourself 轉 ‘Tear’”), the first Korean singer to reach first place on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (“Dynamite”), the Korean singer with the most songs at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 (6 songs), and the first Korean song to reach number one on that chart (“Life Goes On”). Beyond chart success, their global influence is beyond imagination. They are the Asian singer with the most Billboard 200 number ones (6 times), the first Korean singer to reach first place on the UK Official Album Chart (“Map of the Soul: Persona”), the first Korean singer nominated for a Grammy Award (“Dynamite”), selected as Time Magazine’s Entertainer of the Year in 2020, and gave speeches at the UN General Assembly in 2018 and 2021. On YouTube, they set a Guinness World Record for the highest view count in 24 hours (“Dynamite,” with 182 million views). They were also the first Korean singer to perform solo at Wembley Stadium in the UK and achieved four consecutive sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, USA. In terms of album sales, they have reached the highest sales figure ever by a Korean singer (“Map of the Soul: 7,” with over 50 million copies sold). In 2024, they ranked 19th on Billboard’s list of “The Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century.” When they debuted in 2013, BTS did not receive much attention amid EXO’s peak popularity. At that time, their style focused on hip-hop, featuring songwriting based on the production skills of RM and SUGA, along with dance performances by Jimin and j-hope. By their second year in 2014, they signed a contract with a local Japanese entertainment company and made their debut on the Oricon singles chart at 6th place. In 2015, they began dominating South Korea’s music scene with their third mini-album series, “Flower”. In 2016, with their second studio album, “Wings,” the members revealed in an interview with Star News their concern: “Will I still be able to perform these choreographies and hold concerts even when I’m in my 30s or 40s?” However, that worry turned out to be unfounded. The Daesang award and status as world-class artists, which they aimed for in 2017, have become reality, and there are no signs of them slowing down even after over a decade.