The Biggest K-Pop Spotify Stars of 2023

The outgoing year has been a big one in the world of K-pop, which has seen artists from South Korea racking up millions of streams on Spotify. The stand-out stars of 2023 include NewJeans, Jungkook, FIFTY FIFTY, Taeyang, and Twice, all of whom almost broke the internet with their newest tracks - and broke some records along the way, too.

NewJeans

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NewJeans, made up of Minji, Hanni, Haerin, Hyein, and Danielle, was one of several K-pop stars that dominated Spotify in 2023. For eleven weeks of the year, the group's singles Ditto and OMG set the platform alight, earning the band a slew of new fans worldwide.

The five-piece is forging something of their own path, breaking out of what's often seen as K-pop standards. For example, rather than each member being assigned a position - such as a rapper or lead vocalist - things are much more fluid, with different members performing different 'roles' on each track or even within a single track. For the group, this is an important way to ensure every member has the opportunity to shine.

Earlier in 2023, NewJeans became the first K-pop girl group to play at Lollapalooza, and the band was thrilled to perform for a diverse audience, gaining even more fans in the process. NewJeans also recently rocked a set loved by the audience at the opening ceremony of the League of Legends gaming world championships.

Jungkook

BTS member Jungkook had a great 2023 on Spotify: his track "Seven" was streamed so much that Spotify listed it on its Global Songs of Summer list, one of only two songs by K-pop artists to do so. "Seven" boasts over 470 streams to date.

The star performed as part of Good Morning America's renowned Summer Concerts series, delighting fans, many of whom had camped overnight to see the singer. As well as "Seven", Jungkook performed BTS fan favorites "Euphoria" and "Dynamite" during the set. Jungkook's debut solo album, Golden, dropped in November 2023 and features collaborations with Latto, DJ Snake, and Jack Harlow.  

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FIFTY FIFTY

Four-piece girl K-pop band FIFTY FIFTY scored big on Spotify in 2023, having the most number of streams for nine weeks straight this year - so far! The band's track "Cupid" had a stellar run on the platform that was only broken when BTS's "Take Two" exploded onto the scene. "Cupid" 's success made FIFTY FIFTY the fastest K-pop girl group to enter the UK Singles Chart and Billboard Hot 100 within four months of its debut. In addition to this, FIFTY FIFTY became the first female K-pop group to gain a top ten UK single.

And the name? Apparently, it represents two halves of a whole, the first being the band itself, and the second its fans - also the coexistence of a harsh reality, along with a hopeful dream for the future.

Taeyang

One of 2023's most-streamed tracks on Spotify was "Vibe" by Taeyang, which also featured Jimin of BTS. Released in January of that year, the track charted in over fifteen countries and peaked at number 76 on the Billboard Top 100.

Taeyang made his debut with the K-pop boy band BigBang and, following several successful albums and EPs, pursued a solo career from 2008 onward. As an artist, he's widely regarded by music critics as one of the best vocalists in South Korea.

The almost two decades that Taeyang has spent within the K-pop industry has seen the star notch up a slew of achievements, including being the first solo K-pop artist to send a Korean-language album into the Billboard chart.

Twice

With over 51 million streams on Spotify (so far), Twice's "Moonlight Sunrise" was one of the platform's major hits in 2023, peaking at number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 22 on the Billboard Global 200.

Twice is a nine-piece K-pop girl band that was originally formed as part of the TV show Sixteen in 2015. As well as huge and ongoing commercial music success, the members have also endorsed or sponsored a wide range of products, from clothing to vitamins. They've got a heart, too: in February 2023, the group donated 200 million won (around $155,000) to Save the Children in support of its appeal to help those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.