Kpop had an exceptional year as always, but it was also a year of growth for Korean indie and rock genres, according to data compiled by SPOTIFY for the 2025 Korean music market.
According to the 2025 Wrapped dataset from the streaming service, the number of streams for K-indie and K-rock songs increased by 68% and 16%, respectively, compared to the previous year.
The top five indie and rock artists were: DAY6, THE BLACK SKIRTS, BOL4, HANRORO, and 10CM. The most-streamed K-indie song was “Yours” (2019) by DAMON’S YEAR, followed by “Happy” (2024) by DAY6, “Closely far away” (2021) by CAR, THE GARDEN, “Time of our life” (2019) by DAY6, and “You were beautiful” (2017) by DAY6.
SPOTIFY has helped promote hidden K-indie and K-rock gems to global audiences through projects such as the Fresh Finds and RADAR programs, as well as expanded editorial curation.
The streaming service also strengthened domestic partnerships, including with CJ CULTURAL FOUNDATION. The two companies’ “Tune Up Meets Fresh Finds” collaboration showcased artists JISOKURYCLUB, CAN’T BE BLUE, and THERE’S A TUESDAY from New Zealand, who delivered unique live performances fostering creative exchange and greater stage exposure.
“We will continue our support to help promote artists of diverse genres to global listeners,” SPOTIFY said in a press release.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: Spotify
