K-Pop Establishes Itself as a Global Mainstream Genre... Massive Success of "KPop Demon Hunters," Jennie’s All-Kill Solo Career, and Internal Struggles at NewJeans

2025 was a year that demonstrated how K-Pop has moved beyond a temporary trend to fully establish itself as a mainstream genre in the global music market. Three key events throughout the year symbolized this shift, further proving K-Pop’s worldwide influence. **The Overwhelming Success of the Netflix Animated Film** The biggest issue to impact both the music and film industries this year was the global success of Netflix’s animated film "KPop Demon Hunters." Featuring the K-Pop idol group HUNTR/X, who hunt evil spirits at night in its unique setting, the film captivated viewers worldwide. Right after its release, it set a record as the most-watched animated film in Netflix history. Its performance in the U.S. streaming market was even more impressive. According to Nielsen’s 2025 annual data, "KPop Demon Hunters" recorded 2.05 billion minutes of viewing time, making it the most-streamed film in the United States. This figure surpassed 320 million cumulative views, leaving it more than 1.1 billion minutes ahead of the second-ranked film, "Moana 2" (940 million minutes). Despite being a mid-year release in June, it remained consistently on streaming charts until the end of the year. Musically as well, it made history. The film’s main theme song became the first animated OST to top Billboard’s main single chart, the "Hot 100." The songs of the rival boy band "Lion Boys" in the film also managed to enter charts thanks to enthusiastic fan responses, allowing the entire film soundtrack to build a massive fanbase on Billboard. This shows that music in the K-Pop style has reached the pinnacle of the global mainstream music market. **Jennie’s Solo Project Proves Female Artists’ Global Influence** Jennie, who has been pursuing her solo activities through her one-person agency Ode Atelier, reached a new peak in 2025 with her solo project "like JENNIE." This album, which encapsulates Jennie’s unique identity, swept the top spots on iTunes charts in over 80 countries worldwide as soon as it was released. Its title track broke Jennie’s own previous record on the Billboard "Hot 100" chart. "Like JENNIE" is a song that combines the rhythm of dance pop with Jennie’s distinctive vocal style, capturing fans across various regions of the world. Particularly, this project, which focused on music and visuals that best represent Jennie, dominated Google search terms and social media challenges, once again proving that she is not only a global fashion icon but also an artist with high musical proficiency. During her solo activities, she held performances and promotions in numerous countries, maintaining active direct communication with fans. Her efforts built a solid foundation as a global star beyond just musical achievements. **Global Expansion by New K-Pop Groups** The global expansion efforts of K-Pop companies also yielded visible results. GIRLSET, born from the joint project "A2K" between JYP Entertainment and Republic Records, overcame past difficulties such as legal disputes and member departures when it was originally known as VCHA, and made a comeback in August under a new name. Currently composed of four members—Kendall, Lexi, Camila, and Savanna—GIRLSET is building its status as a multicultural group capable of representing the Western market through training under the K-Pop system. KATSEYE also achieved notable success. Born from HYBE’s and Geffen Records’ joint project "The Debut: Dream Academy," KATSEYE had its group formation process documented through the 2024 drama series "Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE." In 2025, it received a nomination for a Grammy Award in the New Artist category and reached position 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 with its single "Gabriela," expanding its presence in the pop market. **Redefining K-Pop’s Global Standing** These achievements mean that K-Pop has moved beyond being merely an Asian music genre to becoming a central genre in the global mainstream music market. "KPop Demon Hunters" was named one of TIME’s "Breakthrough of the Year" (Rising Star of the Year) for 2025, and discussions about producing a sequel and expanding the franchise are currently very strong. It has become a perfect model showing how the combination of musical elements, storytelling, and cultural identity can evolve Hallyu. In 2025, K-Pop captured the world stage simultaneously on multiple fronts, including films, music, and discovering new global groups, firmly establishing itself as a structural mainstream genre rather than just a temporary trend.