BTS holds the crown in May's boy group rankings — even while on a break!
Based on data from April 10 to May 10 tracking shifts in public sentiment and popularity, the research shows BTS continues to dominate the charts—remarkably holding their top spot despite being on hiatus since 2022.
The Korean Business Research Institute revealed its monthly brand reputation rankings for male idol groups for May. A multitude of data collected between April 10 and May 10 to track shifts in public sentiment and popularity form the basis of this research. Remarkably, BTS has maintained a firm grip on the charts even after taking a hiatus since 2022.
Numerous important indicators, such as customer participation, media coverage, interaction, and community indexes, were thoroughly examined in order to determine the rankings. The Top 5 and the subsequent groups are examined in more detail below.
BTS
The 7-member boy group topped the list once again with a brand reputation index of 7,811,108, marking a 2.54% increase from April. Their positivity-negativity analysis revealed a remarkable 92.02% positive response rate. The members — Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook — will make a comeback as a group in June 2025 after being on hiatus due to mandatory military service.
SEVENTEEN
The 13 members of SEVENTEEN — S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino — maintained their strong hold on second place with a brand reputation index of 5,729,258, reflecting their continued popularity. The group is set to make their highly anticipated comeback with the HAPPY BURSTDAY album on May 26, 2025, celebrating their 10th anniversary.
BIGBANG
The three members of BIGBANG — G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung — climbed to third place this month with a score of 3,381,072, marking a strong return to the top ranks. This month, they also earned an official platinum certification for their iconic hit FANTASTIC BABY after it surpassed 100 million streams in Japan.
TWS
The 6 members— Shinyu, Dohoon, Youngjae, Hanjin, Jihoon, and Kyungmin — helped TWS rise to fourth place with an 85.77% increase in their brand reputation index, reaching 3,135,194. They will launch their first local tour and debut in Japan this July with the 24/7:With:Us in Japan tour, set to run for about a month.
THE BOYZ
THE BOYZ, composed of members Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, New, Q, Ju Haknyeon, Sunwoo, and Eric, secured fifth place with a brand reputation index of 2,819,185, maintaining a solid presence among the top boy groups. However, this marks a 7.53% decrease compared to April's index of 3,048,818.
Check out the Top 30
6. EXO
7. SHINee
8. Super Junior
9. ENHYPEN
10. NCT
11. Stray Kids
12. BTOB
13. ZEROBASEONE
14. ATEEZ
15. ASTRO
16. INFINITE
17. HIGHLIGHT
18. BOYNEXTDOOR
19. MONSTA X
20. Wanna One
21. 2PM
22. TVXQ
23. RIIZE
24. TREASURE
25. B1A4
26. TXT
27. ONF
28. FTISLAND
29. VIXX
30. PENTAGON
Karen Noronha is a versatile journalist with a passion for sports and K-pop. With over 7 years of experience at publications like IBTimes UK, DNA, and OTTPlay/DesiMartini, she seamlessly transitions between covering global athletic events and the dynamic world of K-pop.
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