K-pop is continuous to dominating the worldwide culture and it is one of the most global communities on Twitter, around world fans, are connected with their favorite K-pop artists and participated in the conversation with each other, by setting a new record of 6.7 billion K-pop related Tweets in 2020, and over 300K K-pop Topics to follow on Twitter.
Passionate fans with non-stop conversations: Top 20 markets by Tweet volume
The markets that create the most hype about K-pop have shown that the popularity of the genre continues to expand in markets where a foothold is secured – also moving new markets to the top. In the 2020 rankings, with Indonesia taking the #1 spot, and India entering the top 10 for the first time, surging conversations from fans in Indonesia and India created enough Tweets to drive both higher. Brazil and Mexico managed to maintain their spots in the top 10 despite the fierce rivalry, while Spain entered the top 20 for the first time due to the enthusiasm of the K-pop fans there.
The top 20 markets Tweeting about K-pop ranked by Tweet Volume in 2020 were:
- Indonesia
- Thailand
- South Korea
- Philippines
- USA
- Brazil
- Malaysia
- Japan
- Mexico
- India
- Argentina
- Peru
- Vietnam
- UK
- France
- Chile
- Singapore
- Canada
- Turkey
- Spain
K-pop popularity on the rise across the world: Top 20 markets by unique voices
Looking at the top 20 markets through unique voices shows a wide variety of markets, reflecting the K-pop community’s increasingly global existence. In some of the world’s largest markets, K-pop expanded its mass popularity as Japan and the USA led the country list with the most people who tweeted about K-pop in 2020. K-pop fandoms are also increasing worldwide, with other markets such as Turkey, France, and Saudi Arabia rising up this list of countries.
The top 20 markets Tweeting about K-pop ranked by a number of unique voices in 2020 were:
- Japan
- USA
- Indonesia
- South Korea
- Philippines
- Brazil
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- India
- UK
- Turkey
- Argentina
- France
- Spain
- Canada
- Saudi Arabia
- Vietnam
- Russia
- Chile
Worldwide favorites: Most-mentioned K-pop artists
The greatest K-pop artists continued to push discussions among their loyal fans even without many events and tours. Last year, the top artists most listed, including BTS (@BTS twt), NCT (@NCTsmtown), EXO (@weareoneEXO), and BLACKPINK (@BLACKPINK), all launched new music projects to help their fans get through 2020.
The top 10 most-mentioned K-pop artists on Twitter in 2020 were:
- BTS (@BTS_twt)
- NCT (@NCTsmtown)
- EXO (@weareoneEXO)
- BLACKPINK (@BLACKPINK)
- GOT7 (@GOT7Official)
- TREASURE (@treasuremembers)
- SEVENTEEN (@pledis_17)
- TOMORROW X TOGETHER (@TXT_members)
- TWICE (@JYPETWICE)
- ATEEZ (@ATEEZofficial)
The songs that defined 2020: Most mentioned K-pop songs
Many different songs, whether from the early part of 2020 or just before year-end, helped us make it through 2020. The biggest may not surprise you – by offering “Dynamite” in part for its fans in English-speaking countries, BTS helped to make it one of the year’s biggest songs. Fans of other groups, like GOT7 and NCT 2020, generated plenty of conversations for their favorite artists’ comeback singles, “Breath” and “RESONANCE,” respectively.
The top 10 most-mentioned K-pop songs on Twitter in 2020 were:
- Dynamite, by BTS (@BTS_twt)
- ON, by BTS (@BTS_twt)
- Black Swan, by BTS (@BTS_twt)
- Life Goes On, by BTS (@BTS_twt)
- Breath, by GOT7 (@GOT7Official)
- RESONANCE, by NCT 2020 (@NCTsmtown)
- How You Like That, by BLACKPINK (@BLACKPINK)
- MORE & MORE, by TWICE (@JYPETWICE)
- Boy With Luv, by BTS (@BTS_twt)
- Shadow, by BTS (@BTS_twt)
The new kids on the block: Fastest-rising K-pop artists
In 2020, thrilling performers arrived on the scene or took off, enticing audiences with buzzworthy teasers and promising debuts. The approach of each artist was different – from the solo debut approach of TREASURE (@treasuremembers) and they are The First Stage EP series, to TXT (@TXT members) making their Japanese debut and second EP just months apart. Many of the fastest-rising musicians, like ENHYPEN (@ENHYPEN members), THE BOYZ (@WE THE BOYZ), and IZ*ONE (@official izone), appeared here for the first time in addition to TREASURE.
The top 10 fastest-rising K-pop artists on Twitter in 2020 were:
- TREASURE (@treasuremembers)
- TXT (@TXT_members)
- ATEEZ (@ATEEZofficial)
- Stray Kids (@Stray_Kids)
- ENHYPEN (@ENHYPEN_members)
- WayV (@WayV_official)
- THE BOYZ (@WE_THE_BOYZ)
- SuperM (@superm)
- IZ*ONE (@official_izone)
- ITZY (@ITZYofficial)
Connecting artists with fans: livestreams, virtual award shows, and more
In the new normal, artists found new ways to stay connected with fans to replace the concerts, events, and other activities a typical year would bring. The #TwitterBlueroom produced many of the most popular livestream viewing opportunities to get to know the top K-pop artists better
2020 K-pop #TwitterBlueroom LIVE Q&A sessions: EXO, ATEEZ, IZONE, BLACKPINK, TREASURE, SuperM, SEVENTEEN, NCT, GOT7, ENHYPEN
The #TwitterBlueroom gave K-pop artists the ability to talk live directly to their fans on Twitter, as well as a chance to hear exclusive behind-the-scenes stories and other insights not available elsewhere – sometimes, artists like BLACKPINK (@BLACKPINK) even used the #TwitterBlueroom to give their fans content that they personalized for them.
Twitter collaborated with MAMA (Mnet ASIAN MUSIC AWARDS) to close out 2020 to get the favorite artists of K-pop fans closer to them than ever before. Twitter’s real-time trends worldwide and in 68 markets were topped by the hashtags #2020MAMA and #MAMA2020, with a whopping 126 million 2020 MAMA related tweets produced from 29 October to 6 December. The first use of the ‘Twitter Stanbot’, the exclusive high-quality, slow-motion videos of K-pop artists and K-drama casts, was also marked by #2020MAMA, with these videos only viewable on the official @MnetMAMA Twitter account.
Other #OnlyOnTwitter content like 1:1 Q&A, Emoji, Fleets, and Voice drove conversations and trending topics about album launches, key artist milestones, and more, to bring fans closer to their favorite K-pop artists.
More than music, K-pop idols and fans band together for social causes on Twitter
As shown by #YearOnTwitter, the second most-Tweeted hashtag of 2020 was #BlackLivesMatter as the world mobilized and amplified the need for equality and social justice. K-pop fans, as well as their favorite idols, participated in the movement by mobilizing others to use the hashtag and join the cause, as well as raise funds through initiatives like #MatchAMillion. The #KpopTwitter community’s involvement in the #BlackLivesMatter movement gave fans another way to stay connected and express their views on broader issues in society.
In 2021, K-pop will come back bigger than ever. #TwitterBlueroom, alongside other only-on-Twitter online content, will give fans the chance to follow their favorites closely, until concerts and events come back in full force. And with comeback tours already starting, there’s a full year of music and your favorite idols ahead. Come join the #KpopTwitter conversation today to see and talk about your favorite K-pop idols and stay updated with other K-pop fans around the world!
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