Recently, Forbes Korea released an analysis of the most influential K-pop artist channels on YouTube in 2024, based on the revenue they earn.
Blackpink topped the list with revenue of 129.4 billion won.
According to Forbes, Blackpink is a global girl group, the successor to Fifth Harmony, Destiny's Child and Spice Girls. The magazine also affirmed that Blackpink is the most powerful group on YouTube.
Blackpink currently has a total of 47 videos with over 100 million views, of which 6 videos have surpassed 1 billion views, and 2 videos have reached over 2 billion views.
The number of official YouTube channel subscribers is over 94.9 million, the largest among male and female artists worldwide. The cumulative number of views of Blackpink's content exceeds 36.7 billion views.
To date, the MV "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" with 2.2 billion views is still the MV of a Kpop group with the highest number of views. Blackpink also owns a dance video that reached a record of 1.7 billion views, which is the choreography video "How You Like That".
From the beginning of 2024 until now, Blackpink hasn't even released a new MV, but the group is still at the top of the sales.
Girl group (G)I-DLE ranked second with revenue of 86 billion won.
This is something new for K-pop, as (G)I-DLE has only become more popular on the platform in recent years. Forbes credits (G)I-DLE's rise to fame with catchy songs and trend-setting short-form YouTube videos.
Despite having to temporarily suspend activities due to military service, BTS still ranked third with revenue of 82.3 billion won. Critics recognized BTS' strength on both the world's largest audio-visual platforms, Spotify and YouTube.
BTS is the most powerful K-pop artist in the Korean music industry. They have a large and enthusiastic fan community, helping their achievements to be maintained, despite the time the group spent in the military.
Girl group NewJeans came in fourth with 68.3 billion won in revenue. Forbes notes that NewJeans is a breath of fresh air in K-pop, gaining significant attention through their creative YouTube videos. They are also the youngest group on the list.
Seventeen ranked 5th with 62.4 billion won in revenue. Seventeen's media explosion through various performances helped the group quickly rise to fame on YouTube.
In particular, Seventeen attracts audiences through performances at major music festivals, demonstrating their ability to master the stage and conquer audiences through live performances.
Positions 6 to 10 belong to aespa (51.4 billion won), ENHYPEN (30.1 billion won), IVE (24.9 billion won), LE SSERAFIM (22.7 billion won), and IU (22 billion won), respectively.
IU is the only solo artist to make Forbes' Top 10. Although primarily popular domestically, IU has long been one of the most popular names on YouTube.
