K-Pop Dominates Billboard’s Year-End Charts with HUNTR/X, STRAY KIDS, and Rosé

By iamraeiam | December 12, 2025

From Rosé’s record-breaking “APT.” to Stray Kids’ chart-topping albums, K-pop left an unmistakable mark on Billboard’s year-end rankings.

A diverse lineup of K-pop artists and projects made their mark on Billboard’s year-end charts, showcasing the genre’s global reach and domestic strength. Among the highlights were entries from Stray Kids, Blackpink’s Rosé, and the soundtrack to Netflix’s animated feature “KPop Demon Hunters.”

Billboard’s year-end charts compile cumulative rankings from across the year, drawing on streaming, radio airplay, and sales data to determine the most impactful singles and albums. These lists, including the Hot 100 Songs and Billboard 200 Albums charts, offer a snapshot of which artists defined the year in music.

On the Year-End Hot 100 Songs chart, Rosé’s 2024 single “APT.” featuring Bruno Mars achieved a historic placement at No. 9, the highest-ranking entry for any K-pop act. The track’s success continued, reaching No. 1 on the Year-End Billboard Global 200 Songs chart, underscoring its worldwide resonance.

The “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack also made a splash, with six songs appearing back-to-back on the Hot 100: “Golden” (No. 25), “Your Idol” (No. 54), “Soda Pop” (No. 61), “How It’s Done” (No. 68), “What It Sounds Like” (No. 83), and “Takedown” (No. 93). The soundtrack itself ranked No. 13 on the Year-End Billboard 200 Albums chart, while Rosé’s debut full-length album “Rosie” landed at No. 112.

Stray Kids continued their dominance with two entries: their fourth studio album “Karma” at No. 128 and their 2024 mixtape “Hop” at No. 157. HYBE’s U.S.-based girl group Katseye also appeared, placing No. 182 with their sophomore EP “Beautiful Chaos.”

On the Year-End World Albums chart, Stray Kids claimed the top two spots with “Hop” at No. 1 and “Karma” at No. 2. BTS member Jimin followed at No. 3 with his second solo album “Muse” (2024), while the chart’s lineup featured strong showings from Enhypen, Ateez, Tomorrow X Together, Seventeen, and fellow BTS member Jin.

Source: Korea JoongAng Daily

Video Credits: Arists Respective Agencies

Image Credit: Billboard