The year 2024 witnessed a set of trends, moments, and movements that redefined and reshaped the global music scene, including in the K-pop industry.
Here’s a look at the most popular artists and songs in the MENA region last year, based on 2024 data from music charts and audio streaming platforms.
Spotify: MENA’s top artist in 2024 was Jung Kook, followed by bandmate Jimin, as per data from January 1 to November 30, 2024. BTS came in third despite not releasing any music as a group for the whole year. Jimin has the most-streamed song in Saudi Arabia, thanks to ‘Who,’ surpassing the likes of Billie Eilish’s ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER,’ and Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Espresso.’ Jimin’s bandmate V ranked in fourth place with ‘Love Me Again.’ The youngest BTS member Jung Kook occupied two spots with ‘Seven’ featuring Latto and ‘Standing Next To You’ at number six and seventh.
IFPI: The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) revealed that Jung Kook’s ‘Seve’ featuring Latto was claimed as the most popular K-pop song by weighted streams in 2024 regionally. The trade body’s finding was based on the period from December 29, 2023, to December 26, 2024. ‘APT.’ by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars had the biggest debut track by weighted streams in MENA overall and the UAE. It spent nine weeks atop IFPI’s chart to become the longest-running number one in the UAE.
Anghami: According to the MENA-based music streaming platform’s annual End of Year campaign, BTS, and BLACKPINK occupied the top spots in the K-pop category. The timeline was from January 1 to November 30, 2024.