Fans of the K-Pop idols also do not want to lose enthusiasm by watching the music video continuously to help their idol group break YouTube records. Popular solo singer, PSY, and most popular and biggest boy band and girl group, BTS and BlackPink respectively, are the three South Korean Acts who have taken over and have dominated the top ten most viewed music videos on YouTube by K-Pop Acts. In this article, Channel-Korea will provide you with the top 10 most viewed K-Pop acts throughout time. Let’s check out more about the K-Pop idols who are on the list. So, stay tuned and keep scrolling down this article.
“Gangnam Style” by PSY
On July 15th, 2012, South Korean solo singer PSY released his new song “Gangnam Style.” “Gangnam Style” refers to a lifestyle associated with the district in South Korea called Gangnam. Gangnam is a wealthy neighborhood in the South Korean city of Seoul where young people go to parties. In the song, PSY describes the kind of guy he is and the kind of girl he wants, and he also illustrates the luxurious culture of people who hang out in Gangnam. On December 21st, 2012, just a few months after “Gangnam Style” was released, the song became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views.
From little-known to global superstar, PSY’s popularity skyrocketed immediately with this song. The video was viral all over the world and many Hollywood celebrities also competed to imitate PSY’s “invisible horse dance” from “Gangnam Style.”
“Gangnam Style” was the most popular video on YouTube for almost five years since the release. However, the predicate just stepped down in 2017 after its position was shifted by the music video of “See See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth. Although the song’s position as the most viewed video on YouTube globally was shifted by another song, PSY’s “Gangnam Style” remains the most-viewed video from a South Korean artist on YouTube, with over 3.6 billion views, 18 million likes, and over 5 million comments.
“Gentleman” by PSY
On April 12th, 2013, South Korean musician PSY released another hit single, “Gentleman.” “Gentleman” is a song about telling a lady that he is a gentleman. The lyrics can be read, “If I’m going to introduce myself, I’m a cool guy with courage, spirit, and craziness. What you wanna hear, what you wanna do is me. Damn! Girl! You so freakin sexy.” Throughout the chorus, he keeps saying: “I’m a gentleman.”
The music video of the song also features an appearance by a girl group member Ga-in. As his previous hit single “Gangnam Style” is well known by its “invisible horse-riding dance,” PSY performed a “fast, hip-swinging dance,” sporting harem pants in the “Gentleman” video. Later, it was revealed that the dance was the “arrogant dance” from the song “Abracadabra” by South Korean girl group Brown Eyed Girls.
According to the latest data from the YouTube view in 2020, “Gentleman” has gained more than 1,3 billion views, 6 million likes, and almost 1 million comments on the PSY Official YouTube channel since it was released in April 2013. The song also broke the YouTube record for most views in its first 24 hours with 36 million views, and the record lasted for over four years.
“Ddu-du-Ddu-du” by BLACKPINK
Blackpink released “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” on June 15th, 2018, as the lead single off their debut EP Square Up. Soon after the release, the song broke several YouTube records as the most viewed music video in 24 hours with 36.2 million YouTube views, the fastest and first music video by a K-Pop group to reach 1 billion views, and the most viewed video on YouTube by a K-Pop group.
Through this song, Blackpink illustrates an unapologetic banger package girls’ power and charms amidst the striking and flashy backdrops, bold outfit choices, and kickass choreography. “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” delivers an empowering message that is so hardly talked about in today’s society, and it portrays a harsh depiction of the media and public who praise you when you’re at your highest, but never hesitate to point fingers at you as soon as you make a mistake.
On November 11th, 2019, the music video of Blackpink’s “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” gained 1 billion views on YouTube, and it became the first music video by a K-Pop group to ever reach 1 billion views. While Blackpink is the first K-Pop group to surpass 1 billion video views, they are not the first Korean Act to do so. PSY topped the list of most viewed videos with “Gangnam Style” and “Gentleman.” In 2020, Blackpink’s “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” music video has gained more than 1 billion views, 12 million likes, and more than 2 million comments.
“DNA” by BTS
BTS released “DNA” on September 18th, 2017, the title track for their fifth extended play Love Yourself: Her. “DNA” is a song about fate and destiny, and how you have to accept yourself because you can’t change who you are fundamentally (DNA). The song also conveys a message of love to ARMY, which is the name of the BTS fandom.
The main theme of the album Love Yourself 承: Her is discovering one’s identity. In the music video, the members of BTS continue to appear or get into space, meaning that they are wandering in the space to find the meaning of themselves. It also can be interpreted as a means the members of BTS are finding their own identities through their fans who always show their everlasting love and loyalty to BTS. The relationship between BTS and ARMY was destiny in the first place. With their song “DNA,” BTS made YouTube history as the first Korean boy group that gained 1 billion views on YouTube. On June 1st, 2020, BTS’ music video for “DNA” hit the 1 billion mark on YouTube. According to the latest data, the “DNA” music video of BTS which was released in September 2017, has been watched more than 1 billion times, it has 14 million likes, and more than 6 million comments.
