2025 was the year K-pop fans got everything they'd been dreaming about. Long-separated groups reunited, solo artists broke records that seemed impossible, and the genre proved it could dominate any stage in the world.
If you follow K-pop at all, you know 2025 was unforgettable for reasons that went far beyond the usual chart battles and music video releases.
BTS Members Return From Military Service
The most anticipated moment came when all seven BTS members completed their mandatory military service. RM and V were discharged on June 10, with Jimin and Jungkook following the next day, and Suga finishing by June 21. This marked the end of a nearly three-year wait for ARMY, the group's dedicated fanbase worldwide.
Jin had already been released in December 2023, and J-Hope returned in October 2024, but having all members finally back opened the door to full group activities.
In July, BTS announced plans for a new studio album scheduled for spring, along with a world tour that would include over 30 North American concerts. During the waiting period, members kept fans engaged with solo projects—Jin released the album Echo and toured, while Jungkook became the first Asian solo artist to reach one hundred million streams on every original track.
Stray Kids Reach Eight Number One Albums
Stray Kids etched their name into music history in November 2025 when their album DO IT debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, marking their eighth consecutive chart-topper. The achievement, starting with Oddinary in 2022, made them the first act in the chart's 70-year history to debut their first eight albums at number one.
Beyond charting success, Stray Kids also earned the Album of the Year award at MAMA 2025 for their album Karma.
Rosé and Bruno Mars' "APT" Breaks Records
Rosé's collaboration with Bruno Mars, titled "APT," became a global sensation that redefined what K-pop collaborations could achieve. The music video reached two billion views on YouTube in just 335 days, becoming the fastest K-pop video ever to hit this milestone. The song itself competed for major Grammy nominations, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year, and dominated streaming platforms globally.
For Rosé personally, it marked her first major solo achievement as both a group member of Blackpink and as a solo artist with a two-billion-view music video.
Hwasa Achieves Perfect All-Kill as Female Solo Artist
MAMAMOO's Hwasa delivered an unforgettable performance at the Blue Dragon Film Awards with her song "Good Goodbye." On Nov. 30, the track achieved a perfect all-kill, making Hwasa the first female solo artist to accomplish this feat in 2025. A perfect all-kill means a song tops all major Korean music charts simultaneously—a rare achievement that speaks to an artist's cultural relevance and broad appeal across all demographics.
By December, the song had accumulated over 400 perfect all-kills.
TWICE Headlines Lollapalooza
On Aug. 2, TWICE became the first female K-pop group ever to headline Lollapalooza in Chicago. The nine-member group performed with a live band, featuring songs across their entire career while also delivering the first live performance of "Takedown," a track in the Netflix animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters.
K-Pop Demon Hunters Becomes Netflix Hit
When Netflix released the animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters in June 2025, few expected it to become the most-watched original animated film in the platform's history. The film, which blended K-pop culture with Korean mythology and action sequences, reached Netflix's top 10 globally in 93 countries and accumulated over 26 million views within six weeks.
