8 Most Popular and Successful K-Pop Idols

Here are 8 most popular K-Pop idols who we all love! They are one of the most successful, talanted and simply unforgettable in kpop industry. Get to know more abou them!

  1. Jennie (BLACKPINK)
  2. Jimin (BTS)
  3. Kang Daniel
  4. V (BTS)
  5. Jungkook (BTS)
  6. Jisoo (BLACKPINK)
  7. Jin (BTS)
  8. Hwasa (MAMAMOO)
jennie blackpink Top 8 Most Popular K-Pop Idols kdramaplanet
Jennie (Blackpink) | 8 Most Popular K-Pop Idols | kdramaplanet

1. Jennie (BLACKPINK)

Jennie Kim, better known as Jennie, is a popular Korean singer/rapper, one of the most successful idols. She is a member of Blackpink, one of the most sought-after K-pop. Jennie debuted as a member of the rookie group in 2016. However, she showcased her great artistic skills long before that period. In 2013, she appeared at G-Dragon’s concert.

In 2018, the star of Blackpink began thinking of her solo projects as well. She made her solo debut with the lead single of the same name. Jennie was heavily involved in making choreography, concepts, and outfits. Upon the release of the single, it reached number one not only on Gain Music Chart. It also topped the Billboard’s World Digital Songs chart and even featured in the playlist of the New York Times.

The music video to ”Solo” also gained wide recognition. It became the most viewed video by a K-pop female solo artist of all times on the first day of the release. Not to mention it gained more than 300 million Youtube views within six months since the release. In 2019, Jennie was remembered as the first Korean solo artist to perform at Coachella.

Jennie is well known for her marketing power. She has topped “Individual Girl Group Members Brand Power Ranking” (by the Korean Business Research Institute’s) many times. Her Instagram account is one of the most followed. It got the name of “The Most Loved Account of 2018” in South Korea. Also, Jennie became the most searched K-pop idol in 2019 (Google chart).

  • Born: January 16, 1996
  • Origin: Seoul, South Korea
  • Years Active: 2012–2013, 2016–present
  • Occupations: singer, rapper
jimin bts best kpop idols
Jimin (BTS) | 8 Most Popular K-Pop Idols | kdramaplanet

2. Jimin (BTS)

Park Ji-min, more known as Jimin, is the lead vocalist and main dancer in highly popular K-pop boy group BTS, as well as songwriter and composer.

While in middle school, Jimin learned such dance styles as locking, popping, and contemporary. Before becoming a trainee, he studied at Just Dance Academy and was a top student in the modern dance apartment in Busan High School of Arts. As one of his teachers suggested to him, he auditioned for an entertainment company. That’s how he ended up in Big Hit Entertainment. In 2013, Jimin debuted with BTS. Under the group, he has also released solo tracks ”Serendipity” and ”Lie”. Each of them surpassed fifty million streams (Spotify), beating the record set by Psy’s ”Gentleman”.

Jimin has always been praised for his smooth and elegant movements as well as for his delicate sweet vocals and charm on stage. Nevertheless, he says that he remains to be a perfectionist, feeling guilty of any small mistakes on stage.

Jimin has been voted as the seventeenth best member of a boy group in history (the Guardian). He has also been named ”King of K-pop” (King Choice), ”King of social media” (the results of K-Pop idol brand studies), and the most popular idol in South Korea (Gallup Korea, 2018/2019).

  • Born: October 13, 1995
  • Origin: Busan, South Korea
  • Years Active: 2013–present
  • Occupations: singer, songwriter, dancer
kang daniel top kpop idols to know
Kang Daniel | 8 Most Popular K-Pop Idols | kdramaplanet

3. Kang Daniel

One of the most popular K-pop idols, Kang Daniel, rose to fame after winning the boy group survival show Produce 101 (2017).

He is a singer, songwriter, as well as an entrepreneur. Kang has gained the name of ”Nation’s Center” and is called one of the highest-earning K-pop male solo artists.Kang has been described as “one of the highest-earning and most significant male solo acts in K-pop”. His domestic popularity earned him the nickname “Nation’s Center” from South Korean media channels.

Before taking part in the show, he had trained for two years. Finally, Kang became the center of Wanna One, the project K-pop boy group that was promoted for a year and a half.

Following the disbandment of the group, Kang took a break from the industry. That was the time when he took over the establishment of his agency. Under his agency, he began managing his own solo career.

His first EP “Color on Me” successfully topped Gaon Album Chart, while its lead single gave him his first music show win as a solo artist on KBS2’s Music Bank. His next singles from the series earned him his first top ten single in Korea.

Later, Kang appeared as a member for shows like Master Key and It’s Dangerous Beyond the Blankets for which he received rookie awards.

Talking more about impressive statistics, the artist set a Guinness World Record gaining one million followers on Instagram in just 11 hours and 36 minutes. It’s the fastest result ever!

Do you think setting and breaking records finish only on this? Oh no, there’s even more to talk about. For example, his official fan cafe is the fastest of all time (among idols and groups) to hit 100,000 members! It took only 40 hours to reach that impressive number. Also, he is the first male celebrity ever to be chosen as a model for the Givenchy campaign.

On top of all this, Kang has become the first artist ever to spend 13 months in a row at the top of Korean Business Research Institute’s “Individual Boy Group Members Brand Power Ranking”. Also, he is the only artist to surpass 100 consecutive weeks at the top position of the Idol Chart.

  • Born: December 10, 1996
  • Origin: Busan, South Korea
  • Years Active: 2017 — present
  • Occupations: singer, songwriter, entrepreneur
v bts kim tae hyung most successful korean pop stars
V (BTS) | 8 Most Popular K-Pop Idols | kdramaplanet

4. V (BTS)

Kim Tae-hyung, more known by his stage name V, is a popular singer, vocalist of Kpop boy group BTS, songwriter, and actor. Initially, he became a trainee in Big Hit Entertainment and later debuted with BTS (2013).

V contributed to the composition of music and lyrics for many songs in the group, particularly for his solo song “Stigma” from the group’s album Wings. Furthermore, the artist released his second solo song “Singularity” as the trailer for BTS’ LP. The song debuted on BBC radio.

However, it’s not until 2019 that he released his solo song outside of the band. He released ”Scenery” through the group’s Soundcloud account. It reached 100 million streams in just fourteen days, breaking Soundcloud’s record.

On top of all his successes in the K-pop industry, V debuted as an actor. In 2016, he starred in the historical kdrama Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth.

Many artists call him their role model. Also, many junior idols mention that he is their great role model for studying gestures and facial expressions on stage. V can showcase various emotions during performances, so his videos and fancams are great sources for the young generation.

Talking about fancams, the artist even earned himself the title ”King of Fancams”. His ”Boy With Love” M2 fancam hit 120 million views, making it the most-watched and appreciated fancam ever! Furthermore, V is the only male Kpop star with five fan cams viewed more than 10 million times. Overall, media have reported that out of the hundred most watched videos on Youtube, they discovered 12 videos of V!

  • Born: December 30, 1995
  • Origin: Daegu, South Korea
  • Years Active: 2013 – present
  • Occupations: singer, songwriter, actor
jungkook bts top 8 best popular kpop singers
Jungkook (BTS) | 8 Most Popular K-Pop Idols | kdramaplanet

5. Jungkook (BTS)

Jeon Jung-kook, more known by his mononymous name Jungkook, is a vocalist in the boy group BTS, a Korean singer, and songwriter.

His path to fame became in 2011 when he auditioned for the talent show Superstar K. Although he wasn’t chosen, he got various offers from different entertainment companies. Jungkook chose Big Hit Entertainment after being inspired by RM, who is his fellow group member.

To improve his dance skills, he received training in Movement Lifestyle, in Los Angeles, California. Prior to his debut in 2013, the future K-pop star appeared in different music videos and even worked as a backup dancer!

Sometime after his debut with BTS, Junggkook began releasing his solo tracks. The first one, “Begin”, told about his path – how he moved to Seoul with a dream to become a K-pop idol. The next one, ”Euphoria”, became the introduction to the BTS ”Love Yourself” series.

Jungkook has become one of the most searched K-pop stars on Google and Youtube. Numerous media outlets such as Vogue, Metro, and Bravo state he is the most searched (especially in the first half of 2020). Even until this moment, he has been gaining the most searches since 2017.

The singer even has been named ”Sold Out King” for his ability to quickly sell the items that he is seen wearing or using. From shoes to wine or novels, Jungkook has created a whole trend when different celebrities began wearing similar cloth after seeing them on him in one of his photoshoots. The power of the BTS member to influence the world is undoubtedly big. Everything he releases or uses ranks number one.

  • Born: September 1, 1997
  • Origin: Busan, South Korea
  • Years Active: 2013 – present
  • Occupations: singer, songwriter
jisoo blackpink most successful best korean pop singers
Jisoo (BLACKPINK) | 8 Most Popular K-Pop Idols | kdramaplanet

6. Jisoo (BLACKPINK)

Kim Ji-soo, better known as Jisoo, is a member of the famous K-pop girl band Blackpink, singer, and actress.

In far 2011, Jisoo auditioned for YG Entertainment. As a result, she joined the company. In 2015, she appeared in the drama “The Producers” and even features in various advertisements. Only in 2016, Kim made her debut as one of the band’s members. She even co-wrote the lead single ”Lovesick Girls” for Blackpink’s first Korean-language studio album.

However, her activities as a member of the popular rookie group didn’t get in the way of her acting. Soon, she appeared in another drama, Arthdal Chronicles. It wasn’t until kdrama Snowdrop that she starred not as a cameo but as a lead actress.

Since her debut with the girl band, Jisoo quickly has become a style & fashion icon. She was ranked as one of ten influencers and celebrities leading the world of cosmetics. Women’s Wear Daily stated that Jisoo led the raking in average engagement per post, alongside Kylie Jenner and Rihanna. Besides, she was the only Asian celebrity to be placed on the list. W&V called Jisoo an influencer alongside such star as Christiano Ronaldo. Director of the Korean Language Research Institute stated that Jisoo and Jungkook are World’s Beauty standards. Wow, how impressive is that?

  • Born: January 3, 1995
  • Origin: Seoul, South Korea
  • Years Active: 2016 – present
  • Occupations: singer, actress
jin bts top talanted popular kpop idols
Jin (BTS) | 8 Most Popular K-Pop Idols | kdramaplanet

7. Jin (BTS)

Kim Seok-jin, also known mononymously as Jin. This Korean singer/songwriter is also a member of BTS.

When Kim was studying in high school, he was scouted by an entertainment company. He was noticed because of his looks while walking down the street. However, then he rejected the offer. Kim initially wanted to become an actor and didn’t have any background in music. He even graduated with a degree in art and acting (2017). So, he auditioned for Big Hit Entertainment as an actor, only later transitioning to an idol trainee.

Finally, Kim debuted as one of the BTS members in 2013. As a vocalist, he has always been praised for his falsetto and emotional range. Furthermore, he successfully began co-writing and releasing solo tracks (within the group: ”Awake”, ”Epiphany”, ”Moon” and his first independent song ”Tonight”). His solo track ”Moon” topped the Gaon Digital Chart and reached second place on Billboard’s US World Digital Singles chart.

  • Born: December 4, 1992
  • Origin: Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
  • Years Active: 2013 – present
  • Occupations: singer, songwriter
hwasa mamamoo best korean pop singers kdramaplanet
Hwasa (MAMAMOO) | 8 Most Popular K-Pop Idols | kdramaplanet

8. Hwasa (MAMAMOO)

Ahn Hye-jin, widely known as Hwasa, is a rapper, singer, composer/songwriter. In 2014, she debuted with the K-pop girl group Mamamoo, becoming one of the leading voices of the group.

In 2018, Hwasa collaborated with rapper Loco on KBS TV show Hyena on the Keyboard. Their song ”Don’t”, which she has co-written and co-composed, topped Gaon Digital Chart and was later certified Platinum.

Hwasa also debuted as a solo artist releasing her digital single ”Twit” and EP Maria. ”Twit” reached first positions on the Gaon Digital Chart as well as Billboard World Digital Songs Sales Chart.

Furthermore, Hwasa collaborated with Dua Lipa, an English singer, for the remix of ”Physical”, which included lyrics in Korean! Hwasa also appeared on the soundtrack lineup of kdrama The King: Eternal Monarch.

The singer has also earned the title of ”Hwasa Effect” and ”Gopchang Goddess” since she manages to sell out any item that she wears or uses (in her screen time).

Like other stars on this list, Hwasa was featured on Forbes Korea Power Celebrity. She made it to the top positions of brand reputation rankings among girl group members (according to Korean Business Research Institute).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T0n-NxXD1k

During one of Mamamoo’s concerts, Hwasa told a heart-touching story about an audition that she attended.

Although her singing and performance super delighted casting agents, they refused her leaving a comment that she is ”fat and not pretty”. Thank God, she didn’t give up on her career. At first, these words were tearing her heart apart, but later they became life-changing for her. She set her beauty standards. And that’s what she inspires her fans to do – not try to fit into someone’s standards.

Hwasa has also been going against company restrictions. It’s known that entertainment companies don’t allow to cut or dye hair without the CEO’s permission. Mamamoo wasn’t an exception before their debut too. However, Hwasa broke the rule not to do anything with their appearance before their first single comes out. She cut her hair without asking any permission.

  • Born: July 23, 1995
  • Origin: Jeonju, North Jeolla, South Korea
  • Years Active: 2014 – present
  • Occupations: singer, rapper, songwriter, composer, television personality

Which K-Pop Idol Is Your Favorite?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *