With their synchronised choreographies, catchy hip-hop tracks, popping aesthetic, and trend-setting fashion, widely-admired K-pop bands from the likes of BigBang, 2NE1, and BTS have put Korean music on the global map. When push comes to shove, the star power of these groups allows them to part ways from their talent agencies and pursue solo endeavours — particularly when they’re faced with imminent military duties and long-simmering troubles with management labels. Safe to say, such individual activities have paved the way for chart-topping singles and highly successful business ventures. Today, we look at top K-pop artists with most impressive solo careers.
K-pop artists who have charted successful solo careers after disbanding
LISA
BLACKPINK’s Lisa boasts a portfolio spanning record-smashing singles, sold-out shows, acting debuts in Hollywood, and luxury brand deals. With 9 Guinness World Records under her belt and most among all K-pop soloists, including the first K-pop artist to win the “Best K-pop” honour at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2022 and most-followed K-pop artist on Instagram, the Thai rapper and singer is considered as one of the biggest stars of the Korean music industry by Rolling Stone. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Lisa is also the second richest BLACKPINK member with a staggering net worth of USD 25 million.
Rosé
Rosé has been confirmed as the first K-pop artist to reach No.1 on Apple Music's Top 100: Global chart.
She scored her first No. 1 on October 24th with 'APT.'. pic.twitter.com/uUJlL5lBTg
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) January 24, 2025
Rosé made her solo debut in 2021. With several achievements in her repertoire, the South Korean singer has hit many milestones in the global music industry. She broke records with her single “On The Ground,” which became the highest-charting song on the Billboard Hot 100 by a K-pop soloist. However, it was her song “APT” with Bruno Mars that takes the cake for catapulting her to one of top-most successful K-pop artists. The pop anthem broke Guinness World Records. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Rosé is the richest member of BLACKPINK in 2025.
#ROSÉ becomes the first K-Pop act to surpass 50 million monthly listeners in Spotify history. pic.twitter.com/efdY9mlSkI
— chart data (@chartdata) November 12, 2024
Jungkook
First South Korean soloist to have many songs that surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify. First K-pop soloist with the fastest single to cross 800 million streams. BTS’ Jungkook’s success is powered by his smash solo hits like “SEVEN” which became the fastest song on Spotify to cross 1 billion streams leaving behind Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers”. The song has over 500 million views on YouTube. As of 2024, his fortune stands at USD 35 million, making him the second richest BTS member after V aka Kim Taehyung.
G-dragon
Often referred to as the ‘King of K-pop’, G-dragon is a musician and a fashion icon with successful albums and lucrative brand endorsements to his credit. He is not only one of the highest-paid Korean artists, the Big Bang member also has an estimated net worth of USD 30 million. Even after a 12-year break, the ace artist has managed to climb charts in the United States with his brand new album Übermensch. Throughout his solo career, G-Dragon has reached the Billboard 200 three times, an impressive feat for a period when K-pop was yet to dominate the music scene.
Jackson Wang
From a fashion brand to his own record label, Hong Kong-born K-pop artist Jackson Wang has done it all. Wang has carved his own journey which stands at par with the collective success of his former band GOT7. Apart from selling out arenas, his remarkable achievements include a growing list of accolades. A good example of the same is his inclusion in Forbes’ ‘30 Under 30 China’ list and his ‘Record Of The Year’ award at the Asian Pop Music Awards, among many other distinctions.
(Main image: jungkook.97/Instagram and @xxxibgdrgn/Instagram; Featured image: BLACKPINK/X)
This story first appeared in Prestige Malaysia.
