SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - MediaOutReach - 4 February 2021 - While 2020 changed the way that we enjoy many different types ofentertainment, K-pop continued to be a worldwide cultural phenomenon and one ofthe most global communities on Twitter today. Fans connected with theirfavorite K-pop artists and participated in conversations with each other aroundthe world, setting a new global recordof 6.7 billion K-pop related Tweets in 2020. With over 300 K-pop Topics tofollow on Twitter, it's now easier than ever to see and participate in the bestconversations every day about the K-pop artists you love.

 

"Even in a year where the sounds ofK-pop were not able to fill the arenas and venues that they typically do, the

#KpopTwitter community set a new worldwide record and K-pop artists continued toenergize their global fanbase on Twitter. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic lastyear, Twitter  provided the mostthrilling social soundtrack for K-Pop fans, and enabled them to share theirlove for their favorite K-pop artists with their friends, as well as make newones all over the world," said YeonJeong Kim, Head of Global K-Pop Partnershipsat Twitter.

 

Passionatefans with non-stop conversations: Top 20 markets by Tweet volume

The markets generating the most buzzabout K-pop showed that the genre's popularity continues to grow in marketswhere it's secured a foothold - even pushing new markets to the top. Surgingconversations from fans in Indonesia and India generated enough Tweets to pushboth higher in the 2020 rankings, with Indonesia taking the #1 spot, and Indiaentering the top 10 for the first time. Despite fierce competition, Brazil andMexico managed to retain their spots in the top 10, while Spain reached the top20 for the first time due to the passion of the K-pop fans there.

 

The top 20 markets Tweeting aboutK-pop ranked by Tweet Volume in 2020 were:

1. Indonesia
2. Thailand
3. South Korea
4. Philippines
5. USA
6. Brazil
7. Malaysia
8. Japan
9. Mexico
10. India
11. Argentina
12. Peru
13. Vietnam
14. UK
15. France
16. Chile
17. Singapore
18. Canada
19. Turkey
20. Spain

 

K-poppopularity on the rise across the world: Top 20 markets by unique voices

Looking at the top 20 markets byunique voices reveals a diverse range of markets, highlighting the increasinglyglobal nature of the K-pop community. K-pop increased its mainstream appeal inseveral of the largest markets worldwide as Japan and the USA topped thiscountry list with the most number of people who Tweeted about K-pop in 2020. Inaddition, K-pop fandoms are growing larger across the globe, with other marketslike Turkey, France, and Saudi Arabia moving up this country list.

 

The top 20 markets Tweeting aboutK-pop ranked by number of unique voices in 2020 were:

1. Japan
2. USA
3. Indonesia
4. South Korea
5. Philippines
6. Brazil
7. Thailand
8. Malaysia
9. Mexico
10. India
11. UK
12. Turkey
13. Argentina
14. France
15. Spain
16. Canada
17. Saudi Arabia
18. Vietnam
19. Russia
20. Chile

Worldwidefavorites: Most-mentioned K-pop artists

Even without many events and tours,the biggest K-pop artists continued to drive conversations among theirpassionate fans. The top most-mentioned artists, including BTS (

@BTS_twt), NCT (@NCTsmtown), EXO (@weareoneEXO), and BLACKPINK (@BLACKPINK) all released new music projects for their fans last year to help themget through 2020.

 

The top 10 most-mentioned K-popartists on Twitter in 2020 were:

1. BTS (@BTS_twt)
2. NCT (@NCTsmtown)
3. EXO (@weareoneEXO)
4. BLACKPINK (@BLACKPINK)
5. GOT7 (@GOT7Official)
6. TREASURE (@treasuremembers)
7. SEVENTEEN (@pledis_17)
8. TOMORROW X TOGETHER (@TXT_members)
9. TWICE (@JYPETWICE)
10. ATEEZ (@ATEEZofficial)

 

Embeddable Tweet:

https://twitter.com/BTS_twt/status/1303343927676731392

 

The songsthat defined 2020: Most mentioned K-pop songs

Many different songs, whether fromthe 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 fansin English-speaking countries, BTS helped to make it one of the year's biggestsongs. Fans of other groups, like GOT7 and NCT 2020, generated plenty ofconversations for their favorite artists' comeback singles, "Breath" and"RESONANCE," respectively.

 

The top 10 most-mentioned K-popsongs on Twitter in 2020 were:

1. Dynamite, by BTS (@BTS_twt)
2. ON, by BTS (@BTS_twt)
3. Black Swan, by BTS (@BTS_twt)
4. Life Goes On, by BTS (@BTS_twt)
5. Breath, by GOT7 (@GOT7Official)
6. RESONANCE, by NCT 2020 (@NCTsmtown)
7. How You Like That, by BLACKPINK (@BLACKPINK)
8. MORE & MORE, by TWICE (@JYPETWICE)
9. Boy With Luv, by BTS (@BTS_twt)
10. Shadow, by BTS (@BTS_twt)

 

The new kidson the block: Fastest-rising K-pop artists

Exciting artists emerged onto thescene or took flight in 2020, tantalizing fans with buzzworthy teasers andpromising debuts. Each artist's approach was different - from TREASURE's (

@treasuremembers) approach of solo debuts and their TheFirst Step EP series, to TXT (@TXT_members) making their Japanese debut and second EP just months apart. Inaddition to TREASURE, many of the fastest-rising artists appeared here for thefirst time, including ENHYPEN (@ENHYPEN_members), THE BOYZ (@WE_THE_BOYZ), and IZ*ONE (@official_izone).

 

The top 10 fastest-rising K-pop artists on Twitter in 2020 were:

1. TREASURE (@treasuremembers)
2. TXT (@TXT_members)
3. ATEEZ (@ATEEZofficial)
4. Stray Kids (@Stray_Kids)
5. ENHYPEN (@ENHYPEN_members)
6. WayV (@WayV_official)
7. THE BOYZ (@WE_THE_BOYZ)
8. SuperM (@superm)
9. IZ*ONE (@official_izone)
10. ITZY (@ITZYofficial)

 

Connectingartists with fans: livestreams, virtual award shows, and more

In the new normal, artists found newways 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 toget to know the top K-pop artists better.

 

The

#TwitterBlueroom gave K-pop artists the ability to talk live directly to their fans onTwitter, as well as a chance to hear exclusive behind-the-scenes stories andother insights not available elsewhere - sometimes, artists like BLACKPINK (@BLACKPINK) even used the #TwitterBlueroom to give their fans content that they personalised for them.

Embeddable Tweet:

https://twitter.com/BLACKPINK/status/1328624032787230720 

 

To close out 2020, Twitter partneredwith MAMA (Mnet ASIAN MUSIC AWARDS) to bring K-pop fans' favorite artistscloser to them than ever before. The hashtags

#2020MAMA and #MAMA2020 topped Twitter real-time trends worldwide and in 68 markets, with awhopping 126 million Tweets related to 2020 MAMA generated from October 29 toDecember 6. #2020MAMA also marked the first time use of the 'Twitter Stanbot', the exclusivehigh quality, slow motion videos of K-pop artists and K-drama casts, with thesevideos viewable only 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, keyartist milestones, and more, to bring fans closer to their favorite K-popartists.

 

More thanmusic, 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 socialjustice. K-pop fans, as well as their favorite idols, participated in themovement by mobilizing others to use the hashtag and join the cause, as well asraise funds through initiatives like #MatchAMillion. The #KpopTwitter community's involvement in the #BlackLivesMatter movement gave fans another way to stay connected and express theirviews on broader issues in society.

 

In 2021, K-Pop will come back biggerthan ever.

#TwitterBlueroom, alongside other only-on-Twitter online content, will give fans tofollow their favorites closely, until concerts and events come back in fullforce. And with comebacks tours already starting, there's a full year of musicand your favorite idols ahead. Come join the #KpopTwitter conversation today to see and talk about your favorite K-Pop idols andstay updated with other K-Pop fans around the world!

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