SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, BLACKPINK Hit New YouTube Highs on Same Day

• SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, and BLACKPINK simultaneously reached new YouTube milestones on Feb 2.
• The milestones cover releases in 2017 and 2025, indicating that K-pop songs are consumed over time, rather than only during release periods.
• The outcome highlights streaming's important role in K-pop's global expansion, which is now entering early 2026.

Three famous K-pop groups from three different agencies, JYP, Pledis (a subsidiary of HYBE), and YG, have achieved simultaneous global streaming benchmarks this week (Monday, Feb 02, 2026). SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, and BLACKPINK have all attained significant YouTube viewership milestones, fueled by continued chart performance and fan activity. These achievements, therefore, showcase a consistent international demand for K-pop content within the music video ecosystem, as well as its rapid growth early in the year of 2026.

SEVENTEEN’s Don’t Wanna Cry Surpasses 300M Views

SEVENTEEN's 2017 song Don't Wanna Cry became the company's first music video to reach 300 million YouTube views. The video’s current success after nine long years showcases that people still listen to the song, making it a perennial hit amongst most other songs in the group’s catalog.

Don't Wanna Cry is the lead song from the group's fourth EP, Al1, and has charted six wins on domestic music charts and shows. The track peaked at number three on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales Chart, while the mini album debuted at number two on the World Albums Chart. In the meantime, the group will soon wrap up its New_ global tour in April 2026 with a two-date event in Incheon. The other tour stops will be in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangkok.

Stray Kids Crosses 100M Views with CEREMONY

On the other hand, Stray Kids' music video CEREMONY exceeded 100M YouTube views, making it the group's 18th video to reach the mark. The video came out on Aug 22, 2025, as the primary visual for their fourth studio album, KARMA. The Korea Herald noted that the information was shared by JYP Entertainment on Monday.

Notably, KARMA showed up at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 recording over 313,000 album-equivalent units. Not only that, KARMA also sold over 3M copies in its first week, making it the most sold of any K-pop album in 2025. Throughout the course of the previous year, the album has become Stray Kids' most popular title on the Billboard 200, ranking within the Top 100 along with a presence for 13 consecutive weeks, demonstrating the group's global impact.

BLACKPINK Achieves its Fifth 1.5B+ Video Streaming Mark

BLACKPINK's 2017 song As If It's Your Last became the group's fifth YouTube video to reach 1.5 billion views, YG Entertainment informed on Monday as well. Other official music videos of BLACKPINK that achieved the same mark include Ddu-du Ddu-du, Kill This Love, Boombayah, and a performance video for How You Like That.

As If It's Your Last was released in 2017 as a digital single and reached the top of the iTunes Top Songs Chart in 74 countries. Notably, it also previously ranked 13th on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100, while also serving as a soundtrack for the film Justice League.

The track's continued popularity indicates both the group's early digital presence and long-term library streaming, nearly a decade after its release. BLACKPINK is set to release a new EP named Deadline on Feb 27, 2026, their first full-member project in over three years, placing the four-member band for renewed chart success.

K-pop Streaming Market Context

K-pop has developed into a streaming-first powerhouse, with digital consumption surpassing physical revenues by late 2024. Despite a drop in physical milestones due to reduced group engagement by BTS and BLACKPINK, global streams have increased 362% since 2018, driven by 713M Spotify subscribers and a record $11B USD payout from the music streaming company in 2025. 

However, newer and emerging K-pop bands such as Illit, Stray Kids, ENHYPEN, and CORTIS, as well as solo projects from BTS and BLACKPINK, continue to dominate global charts. This commercial success is being further bolstered by K-pop's tripled copyright royalties and strategic expansion into Korean indie and rock music. Lastly, the high-replay business model shift ensures a durable and expansive future for the Korean music industry, transnationally, particularly for K-pop.