K-pop reigns supreme in the Philippine Twitterverse. Whether it's because of a new single, an award nomination, or simply just out of love and support, you're bound to find Filipino fans making their favorite K-pop groups trend with a storm of tweets and hashtags.
According to data from Twitter, the Philippines is just second to Indonesia when it comes to countries with the highest number of K-pop-related tweets between the period of July 2020 to June 2021. In the same time period, the Philippines is third on the spot after Japan and Indonesia for countries with the most K-pop fans on the social media platform.
Here, we’ve listed five of the many K-pop groups Filipinos are obsessed with!
BTS
BTS is an acronym for the Korean expression “Bangtan Sonyeondan” which means Bulletproof Boy Scouts in English translation. BTS was the most tweeted K-pop group and hashtag in the Philippines in 2020. Managed by Big Hit Entertainment, this group comprises multitalented members Jimin, J-Hope, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Suga, and V. BTS debuted in 2013 and has since established a millions-strong fandom, aptly called ARMY, all over the globe. They have reaped numerous awards in South Korea and abroad, including four awards at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards just last May.
BLACKPINK
Blackpink came to the fore in 2016 and captivated listeners with digital single album "Square One,” propelling members Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo, and Rosé into stardom.
Blackpink is considered as one of the most popular K-pop groups not just in the Philippines, but the world, and has gone on to collaborate with American singer-actress Selena Gomez ("Ice Cream") and rapper Cardi B ("Bet You Wanna") for their first full album released in 2020.
SEVENTEEN
Seventeen is a huge K-pop group, with 13 members in all divided into three sub-units (hip-hop team, vocal team, and performance team). The group was formed by Pledis Entertainment and made their debut in the music industry in 2015 with mini album "17 CARAT." From a rookie boy band, Seventeen has now flourished into a multi-awarded K-pop group recognized not just in South Korea but also abroad.
EXO
EXO officially debuted in the music scene in 2012 under SM Entertainment. The South Korean-Chinese boy band originally comprised 12 members that were split into two groups EXO-K and EXO-M to cater to Koreans and Chinese, respectively. EXO ‘s number has whittled down in size due to the departure of some members through the years. The group has received over a hundred awards and nominations throughout its career, and bagged four awards at the prestigious Seoul Music Awards in early 2020.
TWICE
Nine-woman K-pop group Twice, under JYP Entertainment, is also popular among Filipino fans, which makes up its international fandom called Once. Debuting in 2015, the girl group comprises members Tzuyu, Momo, Sana, Mina, Jihyo, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Chaeyoung, and Dahyun, and is known for bangers "Yes or Yes," "Fancy" and "What is Love?" among many others. Twice took home a Bongsang (main prize) in the Seoul Music Awards in 2020.
If you're new to K-pop, give these songs from the groups above a try!
“Butter” and “Dynamite” by BTS; “As If It’s Your Last” and “Lovesick Girls” by Blackpink; “Call Me Baby” and “Obsession” by Exo; “Don’t Wanna Cry” and “Left & Right” by Seventeen; and “Alcohol-Free” and “Yes or Yes” by Twice.
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