Inside The Era-Defining Rise Of K-Pop

Once seen as a niche corner of the internet, K-Pop has officially gone worldwide.

From BTS selling out stadiums across the world to BLACKPINK creating waves in the music industry, K-Pop has evolved from a niche internet obsession into one of the biggest cultural forces of all time.

But the influence of K-Pop has gone far beyond music. K-Pop ideals are shaping fashion trends, inspiring movies and TV shows, and rewriting what it means to be a global pop star.

Whether you’re a casual listener or fully-fledged stan, there’s no denying that K-Pop is no longer a genre anymore – it’s a lifestyle.

The K-pop craze

K-Pop, or Korean pop is a term used to describe the music from South Korea. The style of music is upbeat pop and dance music that includes influences from reggae, hip-hop, rock, and even salsa.

What seems like a recent phenomenon actually started back in the early 1990s, when K-Pop band Seo Taiji and Boys came on the scene. They were the first of their kind to emerge bringing American sounds of rap and rock to South Korean shores.

While their sounds provided an ultimate groovy K-Pop style, their lyrics dived into something deeper. The songs touched on social topics that were prevalent in South Korea at the time, with particular emphasis on challenging censorship laws in the country. The mix of dance melodies and strong messages led the band to sell over 2.13 million copies of their music and helped change censorship laws in South Korea.

@the8slover Not a single group would exist without these three men #kpop #seotaijiandboys #1stgen ♬ FEARLESS [ Japanese Version ] – LE SSERAFIM

As the popularity of Seo Taiji and Boys grew, it began to revolutionise the industry. Entertainment companies began to get involved and started to create further K-Pop bands and solo artists. One band that emerged from this time was SM Entertainment’s band H.O.T.

The involvement of entertainment businesses has since become a part of the K-Pop world, as is often seen as part of the appeal. Instead of bands or artists forming by themselves, the companies host auditions and are always on the lookout for future talent. Fans can see the process of the artists being created and follow along for the journey.

While these bands have always become sensations in South Korea, it wasn’t until hit single ‘Gangnam Style’ by PSY that K-Pop became a worldwide phenomenon. This song was released at a time where digital platforms like YouTube and Instagram were becoming increasingly popular.

@m_usica2 Gangnam Style ~ PSY #videosmusicales #musica #music #musicadelrecuerdo #parati ♬ sonido original – Música de todos los tiempos…🎶

The music video of PSY dancing and the catchy tune had people hooked, bringing K-Pop culture to the world stage. From that social media helped bring K-Pop to more people around the world.

Rise of K-Pop culture

After seeing the reaction to ‘Gangnam Style’ globally, the K-Pop industry began to form many more bands and artists. Soon after ‘Gangnam Style’ was released the popular band BTS was formed – and their success would be historic. The seven piece boy band shot to immediate success worldwide, creating an unbelievable fandom across the globe.

Their songs follow the same catchy pop tune as K-Pop bands before them, with lyrics about romance, self-love and even mental health. Their hit ‘Dynamite’ was even one of the world’s most streamed songs in the year of its release.

@hippyheartless BTS – Boy with Luv (Live) – SNL – Saturday Night Live #BTS #snl #SaturdayNight #SaturdayNightLive #DonPardo #DarrellHammond #melbrand #livefromnewyork #comedyvideo #snlskit #fypシ #fypシ゚viral #funny #fyp ♬ original sound – hippyheartless

BTS became the first K-Pop band to feature on the popular US series Saturday Night Live ensuring that they had well and truly hit the US market – and if that doesn’t scream “made it big” we’re not sure what does!

BTS soon became a household name after Times Magazine named them the 2020 entertainers of the year. They then went on to address the United Nations general assembly and even got a chance to go to the White House to meet then President Joe Biden.

Their fandom even hit Irish shores, and while they have yet to preform here, the love from their Irish audiences is notable. The fandom often hosts events for album and movie releases, certifying that K-Pop has well and truly taken over the Irish market too!

After the boys’ success story, a new all K-Pop girl band, BLACKPINK, came on the scene. They shot to fame after their hit single ‘How You Like That’ was given a Guinness World Record due to their massive popularity and influence.

They were the first ever K-Pop band to ever headline the iconic American music festival Coachella, with thousands showing up for their performance. BLACKPINK have also won many music awards such as the MTV Best Group award in 2023 and 2025, which shows to the world just how beloved they are.

@bp.officially @blackpinkofficial #blackpink #foryou #blink #fyp #howyoulikethat ♬ How You Like That – BLACKPINK

As the K-Pop music industry continues to grow, it’s making space for the world to see what else South Korea has to offer. With Korean skincare products dominating beauty shelves due to their incredible results and amazing Korean food in our supermarkets, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing the country’s influence in media too.

Netflix’s Squid Game is loved by fans all over the world. The dystopian show had audiences hooked for its three seasons – so much so that here in Ireland, GAA and other sports clubs have even put their own spin on the show, to create interactive fundraising events.

There’s even a Squid Game line in Penneys. Yes, really.

@prmkbraehead Squid Games Range Now At Braehead #squidgame #primark #ontrending #trending #fyp #netflixseries #pjs #gameover ♬ Squid Game (Let’s Play) – Alok

Elsewhere, K-Pop Demon Hunters was released in June of this year and has already been named as the most streamed Netflix film across the world. Those young and old have been recreating dances to the movie’s hit song ‘Soda Pop’, while ‘Golden’, another song in the movie, has received 420 million streams on Spotify.

The K-Pop industry isn’t slowing down anytime soon and honestly why would we want it to? It proves that K-Pop isn’t just a trend, it’s a cultural rest – and everyone is dancing to its beat!