BTS Regains Top Spot as the 2024 Global Artist Despite Military Service Break

SpaceAudity, a music content startup, released its “2024 K-Pop World Map,” which analyzes global K-POP market trends using data. BTS once again took first place on the 2024 Global Artist Top 20 list, demonstrating its strong presence despite a hiatus caused by military service. Following BTS in the global rankings, BLACKPINK secured second place, continuing to exert significant influence as a leading K-POP girl group. STRAY KIDS ranked third among boy groups, solidifying its position as a major global force, while BABYMONSTER (4th) and NewJeans (5th) showcased the strength of fourth-generation groups. aespa climbed five spots from the previous year to finish in 6th place, further strengthening its foothold in the global market. TWICE, (G)I-DLE, and LE SSERAFIM all made it into the top 10.

A notable change observed is in how fans consume content. Comparing view counts between 2023 and 2024, the share of views contributed by the Top 10 artists decreased from 45.65% to 37.32%. This indicates a reduction in concentrated consumption focused on specific artists. Analysts suggest K-POP is shifting away from the traditional “all-in” consumption pattern toward a model centered on “multi-stans” who support multiple artists simultaneously and “casual fans” who enjoy music casually without being dedicated to any one artist. This trend is further accelerated by the growing popularity of short-form content platforms such as TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels. Moving forward, in the K-POP market, maintaining loyal fanbases will remain important, but attracting a broader audience and sustaining consistent buzz will become even more critical factors.

The growth of new groups was also prominent. BABYMONSTER experienced explosive growth by jumping straight to 4th place, rising from outside the rankings in 2023. Thanks to the popularity of band-style music, DAY6 saw a remarkable rise of 20 spots, demonstrating its strength. In the domestic market, fourth-generation girl groups such as NewJeans, aespa, IVE, (G)I-DLE, and LE SSERAFIM dominated, while established popular artists like IU, BIGBANG, and Taeyeon continued to maintain strong popularity. Different consumption patterns emerged in key markets such as Japan, the United States, and Taiwan. In Japan, TWICE topped the list, with boy groups like BTS, STRAY KIDS, and SEVENTEEN also performing well. In the United States, STRAY KIDS remained at the top, continuing its upward trend, while BTS and BLACKPINK continued to enjoy high popularity. In Taiwan, girl groups held an overwhelming advantage, with all but SEVENTEEN in the Top 10 being girl groups or female solo artists.

In 2024, K-POP experienced modest growth in the global music market, while the domestic market saw further strengthening. Total view counts increased by approximately 7% compared to the previous year, with South Korea’s contribution rising from 16.02% to 18.78%, highlighting the active consumption by local fans.