Leading music streaming platform Spotify has put the spotlight on Korean female artists in celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8. 

Spotify data revealed Korean women artists have been steadily gaining popularity, recording phenomenal growth in streams among listeners worldwide. 

(Clockwise from top left) BLACKPINK, NewJeans, TWICE, LE SSERAFIM, and Fifty Fifty's Keena (X) 

In 2023, there were over 24 billion global Spotify streams for Korean women artists, an increase of 602 percent since 2018, and testament to their growing influence as they continue to touch lives with their music.

According to Spotify, BLACKPINK emerged as 2023’s top-streamed Korean women artist globally followed by NewJeans, TWICE, LE SSERAFIM, and FIFTY FIFTY. 

BLACKPINK (X)

NewJeans (X)

TWICE (X)

Le Sserafim (X)

Fifty Fifty's Keena (X)

Most streamed Korean women artists and songs (Spotify)

The most streamed track by a Korean female artist worldwide was "Cupid - Twin Ver." by Fifty Fifty, followed by NewJeans' "OMG," "Ditto," and "Super Shy," and BLACKPINK member JISOO's "FLOWER."

“It's been thrilling to witness the growth of Korean women artists on Spotify. With the sheer talent they present, there's no denying their influence on shaping the industry and the power of music in driving the movement for gender equity,” said Jungjoo Park, Spotify’s head of music in South Korea.

She added, “Beyond celebrating them this International Women’s Day, we hope listeners will join us in supporting women artists on Spotify all year long as we continue to bring you the best of their music on playlists like EQUAL Korea.” 

On International Women’s Day in 2021, Spotify launched the EQUAL Hub to bolster its commitment to fostering equity for women in audio and celebrating their global contributions. 

From spotlighting music from all corners of the world to podcast recommendations, the EQUAL Hub serves as a one-stop destination for listeners to discover and tune into the music and diverse voices of women artists and creators all year long.

Also on the EQUAL Hub is the EQUAL Korea playlist, which spotlights the vast talent of Korean women artists. 

Approximately 1,400 songs by Korean women artists have been featured on the EQUAL Korea playlist over the past three years, and JISOO's "FLOWER" is the most streamed track to date.

Beyond EQUAL Korea, Korean women artists have also been featured in wider EQUAL initiatives. 

As part of the global 2022 EQUAL campaign, Spotify launched a 'Spotify Singles’ project with SUNMI, and in January 2023, NewJeans was the ambassador of the month for the platform’s EQUAL Global Music Program, which gave their music exposure on the EQUAL Global Playlist.