K-pop artists continue to show their strong influence in the global music market, not only with familiar artists but also thanks to the explosive effects of the KPop Demon Hunters animated film along with legendary music groups such as HUNTR/X and Saja Boys.
On Billboard 200, the soundtrack KPop Demon Hunters ranked 13th overall - an impressive achievement for an animated soundtrack. In the solo and group album categories, Rose (Blackpink) featured Rosie (No. 112) while Stray Kids had two charted albums, KARMA (128) and 合 (HOP) (157). International girl group KATSEYE also made their mark with BEAUTIFUL CHAOS (182).
On the Hot 100, Rose's song "APT." featuring Bruno Mars reached No. 9 at the end of the year, and topped both the Global 200 and Global (excluding the US) charts, becoming the most outstanding K-pop hit of the year.
Jimin (BTS) with "Who" ranked 57th on the Hot 100 and held a high position on global charts. Songs from KPop Demon Hunters performed by HUNTR/X and Saja Boys also received heavy coverage, showing the special appeal of this project.
In the Top Artist category, HUNTR/X unexpectedly ranked 24th, surpassing many familiar K-pop artists. Rose is ranked 44th, Stray Kids ranked 69th and Jimin ranked 81st, reflecting her diversity in success forms: from solo artists, bands to fictional projects.
As for best-selling albums, Stray Kids continued to affirm their position with KARMA (ranked 5) and 合 (HOP) (ranked 7). ATEEZ, ENHYPEN, TWICE, TXT, Seventeen and Rose all have albums in the top 50, showing the stable purchasing power of K-pop in the US market. Stray Kids also topped the category of Artist with the highest album revenue, ranked 2nd in the entire market, just behind the artist with the overall lead.
On the World Album Chart, Stray Kids occupied the No. 1 and No. 2 positions, followed by Jimin, ENHYPEN and ATEEZ. BTS artists (including Jin's group albums and solos) continue to maintain a lasting influence.
In general, Billboard's 2025 year-end rankings show that K-pop is not only maintaining its form but also expanding its influence, from solo artists, top groups to creative projects like K-pop Demon Hunters. This is considered a sign that the K-pop wave is entering a period of diversification and taking a deeper root in the global music market.
