KIIIKIII
The group KIIIKIII (Jiyu, Leesol, Sui, Haeum, Kya) experienced meteoric growth.
According to the year-end data analysis project released by Google on Dec. 11, KIIIKIII ranked among the global “breakout” search terms in the K-pop Debuts category for 2025.
A breakout search refers to a topic whose search volume increased by more than 5,000% in a short time compared to the previous year. Among the six new K-pop groups whose search volume increased the most this year on Google, KIIIKIII appears, indicating that their debut and activities in 2025 made a significant impact on the global K-pop market.
Since its official debut in March in the music industry, KIIIKIII has demonstrated solid talent and five distinct personalities, while developing a visual creativity that captivates audiences, drawing attention daily. Surprise music videos released without prior information about the members, as well as interactive content on their website, were remarkable initiatives. KIIIKIII quickly gained the attention of domestic and international K-pop fandoms, ranking as a “rookie to watch in 2025.”
In particular, their debut track “I do me” conveys an affirming message, “I will be myself”, with a catchy melody, clever lyrics, and the members’ free charm, earning widespread praise from listeners. The music video reached the top of trending videos on YouTube 12 hours after its pre-release, and after the track’s release, it reached first place on the Spotify Viral 50 in Korea, third place on the Melon HOT100 (30 days after release), and tenth place on the Top100, marking a true success.
Building on this momentum, KIIIKIII won first place on the terrestrial music program MBC “Show! Music Core” just 13 days after its debut with “I do me”. The group expanded its influence into fashion, beauty, finance, and food, was chosen as a model for numerous brands, and ranked first in the “rookie girl group” category of the 2025 Brand Customer Loyalty Awards, breaking records continuously.
Since its debut, KIIIKIII’s various initiatives have also been significant. The group participated in multiple festivals, university festivals, and global stages, continuing their challenges both domestically and internationally. Last August, they captivated local fans at Kansai Collection 2025 A/W at Kyocera Dome Osaka with their unique “Zenjimi” style. In November, they were the only K-pop girl group to perform at Music Expo Live 2025 at Tokyo Dome, delivering an exceptional stage and appearing on popular Japanese music shows and major media, consolidating their global influence.
Moreover, KIIIKIII recently starred in the web novel in collaboration with Kakao Entertainment, “Dear. X”, and released the OST “To me from me (Prod. TABLO)”, creating synergy between the novel and the music, continuing their diverse challenges. In December 2025, KIIIKIII ranked first in the rookie idol group brand reputation chart, confirming their influence once again. Their performances in Google’s Year in Search reinforce their remarkable journey.
Additionally, at the 10th AAA 2025, KIIIKIII won the rookie award “AAA Rookie of the Year” and the performance award “AAA Best Performance”, achieving a double win and reaching seven rookie award trophies in 2025.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: SNS KIIIKIII, Google
