▲ A concept photo for K-pop girl group Le Sserafim's fourth EP, "Crazy," provided by Source Music (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Yonhap) -- K-pop stars like LE SSERAFIM and Stray Kids have made their mark in the U.S. market by appearing prominently on the newly launched "Luminate Index," a chart developed by U.S. market research firm Luminate to measure artist influence.

 

According to Luminate on Tuesday, the index, introduced in October, evaluates artists using metrics such as streaming (30%), social media engagement (15%), artist recognition (25%), public appeal (15%), and participation scores (15%), which include live event ticketing, live streaming, and brand collaborations.

 

Luminate, known for providing album sales data to Billboard charts, explained that the index aims to provide a "comprehensive, detailed, and intimate understanding of artist fandom among U.S. consumers."

 

In the first release of the Luminate Index for Q3 2024, eight K-pop acts ranked among the top 250 artists, showcasing their growing influence among American audiences.

 

LE SSERAFIM led the pack at 66th place with a score of 72, followed by Stray Kids (84th, 70 points), NewJeans (97th, 68 points), TXT (106th, 67 points), ITZY (153rd, 61 points), TWICE (177th, 60 points), (G)I-DLE (225th, 56 points), and BLACKPINK’s Lisa (235th, 55 points).

 

▲ This image, captured from Luminate, shows the criteria for the Luminate Index. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

Notably, BTS and BLACKPINK, who did not have group activities this year, were absent from the list.

 

Pop superstar Taylor Swift topped the overall index, followed by Adele and Beyoncé in second and third places, respectively.

 

The strong presence of K-pop stars among major U.S. pop icons underscores their growing impact on American music consumers.

 

While detailed breakdowns of individual scores were not disclosed, Luminate provided insights by comparing artists with similar scores in the U.S. 13-34-year-old female demographic. TXT, Miley Cyrus, and Olivia Rodrigo received comparable overall scores of 84, 82, and 82, respectively. However, their component scores revealed key distinctions.

 

Luminate noted, "TXT recorded lower awareness and streaming share, yet their highly engaged fans played a critical role in boosting their overall score."

 

▲ This image, captured from Luminate, shows the Luminate Index for Tomorrow by Together (TXT) (blue), Miley Cyrus (pink) and Olivia Rodrigo (yellow). (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

This highlights a key strategy for K-pop artists like TXT: leveraging intense fan engagement to compensate for lower awareness and streaming numbers compared to local pop stars.

 

The appearance of non-BTS and non-BLACKPINK K-pop acts among top-ranking global artists marks a significant and encouraging development.

 

However, challenges remain. Music critic Im Hee-yoon observed, "It’s remarkable that K-pop stars are ranking among prominent Western artists without BTS or BLACKPINK leading the way. But the relatively low awareness and streaming figures indicate that K-pop still has hurdles to overcome to truly captivate the U.S. mainstream, such as achieving consistent Billboard Hot 100 success.”

 

K-pop’s growth in the U.S. continues to be fueled by its passionate fanbase, suggesting that future strategies should focus on broadening general public recognition and streamlining engagement across diverse platforms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]