theMEGASTUDY
KEY POINTS
- A certain arrangement of musical chords can evoke emotions
- Music breaks language barriers, which is why K-pop can reach international stages
- The number of streams on Spotify translates to the success of the artists
Music knows no bounds. A certain arrangement of chords can evoke emotions regardless of whether you understand the lyrics. Virality and visuals also play a part in making a song popular internationally. K-pop record labels, in particular, spend time training their artists to become good music producers and performers. It’s no wonder they go on to break barriers and reach international stages, especially when their music is easily accessible to everyone through platforms such as Spotify.
Let’s take a look at the 20 most streamed K-pop releases of 2023 on Spotify as of June 5.
20.
“Unforgiven” – Le Sserafim Ft. Nile Rogers
It was just released on May 1, but “Unforgiven” by Le Sserafim ft. Nile Rogers is already among the 20 most streamed K-pop songs on Spotify. The single is part of Le Sserafim’s first studio album with the same name. Le Sserafim is a five-member girl group from Source Music, a label under HYBE. As of June 5, it has garnered 49,670,747 Spotify streams.
19.
“Super” – Seventeen
Another artist from a label under HYBE, Seventeen has already been in the industry for a long time and has earned a massive following. They have just celebrated their eighth year as a K-pop group under Pledis Entertainment. Their tenth EP, “FML,” was released on April 24 and included the double singles “Super” and “F*ck My Life.” “Super” has already been streamed 55,951,140 times – not a surprise, considering the album is the second most pre-ordered album in South Korea with 4.64 million pre-ordered copies.
18.
“Angel Pt.1” – Jimin With JVKE, Kodak Black, NLE Choppa and Muni Long
The OST of the film “FAST X” featuring Vin Diesel includes the hit track “Angel Pt. 1,” a collaboration among several artists, including BTS’s Jimin, NLE Choppa, Kodak Black, JVKE and Muni Long. The song was released on May 18. The track debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 30 at No. 65. As of June 5, it has been streamed 56,157,284 times on Spotify.
17.
“Kitch” – IVE
The six-member group IVE debuted on Dec. 1, 2021, and has released hit tracks since. Their first full album, “I’ve IVE,” was released on April 10 with much excitement from fans. Its pre-release single “Kitch” is a testament to the anticipation for their album, reaching 57,811,968 Spotify streams since its release on March 27, ahead of the album drop. IVE is a group under Starship Entertainment.
16.
“Rover” – Kai (EXO)
EXO is one of the most popular groups under SM Entertainment. Some of its members have released their solo EP, including Kai. He released his third EP, “Rover,” on March 13, featuring six tracks. The title track has already been streamed 59,002,202 times as of June 5 and has spawned plenty of posts about the Rover dance challenge.
15.
“Tinnitus (Wannabe Be A Rock)” – Tomorrow x Together
Known as BTS’ sibling group before debuting, Tomorrow x Together (TXT) has already made a name for itself since 2019. Their fifth EP, “The Name Chapter: Temptation,” came out on Jan. 27 this year. The HYBE artists released five tracks under the Korean-language EP, which included “Tinnitus (Wannabe be a Rock)” and the lead single “Sugar Rush Ride.” The long Korean titles of TXT’s songs have become an internal joke between them and their fans, but when it comes to streaming TXT songs, fans are not joking. “Tinnitus (Wannabe be a Rock)” has already been streamed 62,123,219 times.
Listen to Tinnitus (Wannabe be a Rock)
14.
“I AM” – IVE
IVE is a certified hit-maker if the performance of the songs off their first studio album is anything to go by. The group from Starship Entertainment has not only one but two tracks in the 20 most streamed K-pop songs on Spotify released in 2023. Their track “I AM” is the lead single off their album “I’ve IVE,” released on April 10. The track has been streamed 79,540,511 times as of June 5.
13.
“People Pt.2” – Agust D Ft. IU
BTS’s Suga, who also goes by Agust D, and the soloist IU have collaborated in the past, with the release of the song “Eight” three years ago. This gave listeners a taste of what a song featuring the two artists would sound like. The duo treated fans to part two of their collaboration with “People Pt. 2,” a single from Suga’s first solo album called “D-Day.” The track was released on April 7 and has been streamed 79,913,450 times since.
12.
“Haegeum” – Agust D
HYBE’s most popular group, BTS, has released nine studio albums and 6 EPs, but their discography does not stop there. The members have also released their own music, including their rapper Suga. Known as Agust D to those who listen to his solo music, his stage name is a clever play on his BTS stage name and his hometown, Daegu. Agust D spelled backward is “DT,” which goes for Daegu Town,” and “Suga.” He created this alter ego to differentiate his work with BTS from his solo music. His solo release, “D-Day,” contains the single “Haegum,” which has now been streamed 80,797,715 times.
11.
“Sugar Rush Ride” – Tomorrow x Together
Another artist who makes a reappearance in the 20 most streamed K-pop songs on Spotify released in 2023 is TXT. “Sugar Rush Ride,” the lead single of their fifth EP, “The Name Chapter: Temptation,” was released on January 27. It has already been streamed 88,424,811 times on Spotify.
10.
“Moonlight Sunrise” – Twice
The nine-member group Twice released their third English digital single, “Moonlight Sunrise,” on January 20, along with a music video for the track. This pre-release track hinted at the direction of their 12th EP, “Ready to Be,” which was released on March 10. The group from JYP Entertainment is popular not just in Korea but also in Japan and internationally. They even performed “Moonlight Sunrise” at the Billboard Women in Music 2023 Awards on March 3. The song has already been streamed 98,444,079 times on Spotify.
9.
“On The Street” – J-Hope (BTS) With J. Cole
The third member of BTS to have a solo track as one of the most streamed songs on Spotify is J-Hope. He is also one of the three rappers in the group. His EP, “Jack in the Box,” was released last year. He also headlined Lollapalooza. J-Hope surprised fans when he released the music video for “On the Street,” which featured American rapper J. Cole. The song has been streamed 98,444,617 times since its release on March 3.
8.
“CUPID” – Fifty Fifty
One of the groups that surprised K-Pop fans this year is Fifty Fifty, who debuted with the EP “The Fifty” in November 2022, followed by the digital single album “The Beginning: Cupid,” where their most popular song to date is included. Fifty Fifty is under the management label Attrakt. The song “Cupid” was released as part of the album on February 24, 2023, and has been streamed 106,082,488 times on Spotify, but the song is made even more popular by its English version that went viral on TikTok.
7.
“Like Crazy (English Ver.)” – Jimin (BTS)
BTS’ Jimin makes a reappearance on this list, this time with a track included in his solo album, “Face.” He released the album on March 24, along with its title track, “Like Crazy.” The English version of the song has since been streamed 133,963,773 times on Spotify.
Listen to Like Crazy (English Ver.)
6.
“Set Me Free Pt.2” – Jimin (BTS)
“Set Me Free Pt. 2” is yet another track off HYBE artist Jimin’s solo album “Face.” The song, like the lead single off the album, has climbed up the ranks of the top 20 most streamed K-pop songs on Spotify. Before releasing his solo album, Jimin also released solo songs “Lie” off the BTS album “Wings,” “Filter” off the BTS album “Map of The Soul: 7” and “Promise,” his first official solo song released outside of BTS. “Set Me Free Pt. 2” has already been streamed 134,199,312 times since its release on March 17.
5.
“VIBE” – Taeyang (BIGBANG) Ft. Jimin (BTS)
Jimin was also featured on the song “Vibe” by the South Korean singer Taeyang, a member of the group BIGBANG. The song came out as the pre-release track of Taeyang’s second EP, “Down to Earth,” which was released under The Black Label on Jan. 13. The Black Label, an associate company of YG Entertainment, was co-founded by the producer Teddy Park, also known as Teddy. Teddy is also associated with the successful tracks of YG Entertainment’s Blackpink. Taeyang’s song “Vibe” has already earned 139,347,935 streams.
4.
“Flower” – Jisoo (BLACKPINK)
Blackpink’s members have also released their solo albums, with Jisoo releasing her solo album this year. Her solo album “ME” features tracks “All Eyes On Me” and “Flower.” The latter has since been streamed over 169,911,241 times on Spotify and has inspired a viral dance challenge. YG producer Teddy and Kush, the two founders of The Black Label, wrote the song with 24, VVN and Vince – all renowned K-Pop songwriters and producers.
3.
“Like Crazy” – Jimin (BTS)
Jimin’s album “Face” debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 when it was released. It became the highest-charting album by a Korean solo artist in the history of Billboard’s charts. It’s no wonder the songs off his album are some of the most steamed K-pop songs on Spotify. The Korean version of “Like Crazy” has already been streamed 209,313,116 times.
2.
“CUPID (Twin Version)” – Fifty Fifty
Fifty Fifty’s single album, “The Beginning: Cupid,” was released on April 25. It included three versions of the song “Cupid,” including its English version, also known as the Twin Version. This version of the song became such a massive hit, with its sped-up version going viral on TikTok. “Cupid (Twin Version)” has already been streamed 330,413,619 times on Spotify.
1.
“Ditto” – NewJeans
Since the release of the album “OMG” on Jan. 2, the song “Ditto” by NewJeans has been playing everywhere. There is no surprise that it is the most streamed K-pop song on Spotify as of June 5. NewJeans is a five-member group under the HYBE label ADOR. The group’s hit song has been streamed 349,545,066 times.
