On Monday, Spotify, the global music streaming service, announced its 2025 Global Impact List for the first half of the year, emphasizing the rising prominence of K-pop soloists such as Jennie, Jin, and J-Hope.
The Global Impact List ranks the 30 most-streamed tracks by Korean artists outside of South Korea from January 1 to June 30. This year’s list reflects the changing dynamics of the K-pop scene, featuring a variety of artists and underscoring the appeal of solo performers and their connections with international musicians.
One notable trend highlighted is the ascendance of solo K-pop artists; among the top 30 songs, 19 are performed by solo acts, with 9 of the top 10 tracks being solo performances. Spotify observed that this shift indicates a move in K-pop away from group-focused narratives towards more individualized storytelling and personal artistic expression.
The list features 14 Korean acts, including BTS members Jin and J-Hope, Blackpink’s Jennie, Rosé, and Jisoo, alongside Ive, Le Sserafim, NCT’s Ten, Tomorrow X Together, GOT7, Seventeen, Meovv, BoyNextDoor, and G-Dragon. Notably, only 12 of the 30 tracks originate from artists or groups other than BTS and Blackpink.
Leading the list is Jennie’s main track “Like Jennie” from her March solo album “Ruby,” followed by Jin’s “Don’t Say You Love Me” from his second mini-album “Echo,” released in May.
Jennie made a significant impact with nine songs from “Ruby” appearing on the list. Fellow Blackpink member Jisoo secured No. 8 and No. 27 positions with “Earthquake” and “Your Love,” respectively, while Rosé’s “Messy,” from the “F1 The Movie” soundtrack, placed No. 14.
J-Hope, who has been actively promoting his new music and solo world tour, secured four songs on the list: “Mona Lisa” at No. 4, “Sweet Dreams” at No. 6, “LV Bag” at No. 10, and “Killin’ It Girl” at No. 16.
NCT Ten’s “Stunner,” the lead track from his March solo album, RM’s unexpected collaboration with Epik High’s Tablo on “Stop The Rain” (released during RM’s military service), and G-Dragon’s comeback single “Too Bad” were also featured.
Among group releases, Le Sserafim achieved the highest ranking with “Hot” at No. 9 and also took No. 23 with “Come Over.” Ive contributed two tracks, “Rebel Heart” at No. 12 and “Attitude” at No. 21. TXT’s “Love Language” was ranked No. 20, GOT7’s “Python” at No. 24, and Seventeen’s “Thunder” at No. 25. Rookie girl group Meovv appeared with “Hands Up,” and BoyNextDoor concluded the list with “If I Say, I Love You.”
In addition to the notable success of solo hits, the list underscores the growing popularity of K-pop collaborations with international artists.
Jennie broadened her musical style and global reach through collaborations with Doechii, Dominic Fike, Dua Lipa, Childish Gambino, and Kali Uchis. J-Hope established a strong global presence through partnerships with Miguel, Pharrell Williams, and GloRilla, while G-Dragon’s comeback track gained significant attention due to his collaboration with Anderson .Paak.
The Spotify list also highlighted the increasing significance of original soundtracks for films and animations. Alongside Rosé’s “Messy” at No. 14, the rapid ascent of “Your Idol,” a song from the Netflix hit “Kpop Demon Hunters,” was noted, as it debuted at No. 41 despite being released just six days prior to the end of the data collection period.
