These are the soloists bringing in the most money from streams this year.
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K-Pop is bigger than ever on Spotify this year, especially after the platform finally launched in South Korea—but just how much are groups earning from streams? You may be surprised to learn just how much one song can bring in on one platform alone.
Just take a look at how much money the top 15 K-Pop soloist tracks released in 2021 have earned on Spotify this year so far (before royalties). Multiply those numbers to account for streams on Apple Music, Melon, and more, and it’s easy to see how these acts are making bank from digitals.
15. Joy (Red Velvet) – “Hello”
This year, Red Velvet Joy’s “Hello” has racked up 10,676,545 million streams so far. According to Spotify’s average pay per stream this year, that means the song has earned approximately $46,400 and counting.
14. Kang Daniel – “Paranoia”
This year, Kang Daniel’s “Paranoia” has racked up 11,377,053 million streams so far. According to Spotify’s average pay per stream this year, that means the song has earned approximately $49,400 and counting.
13. Wendy (Red Velvet) – “Like Water”
This year, Red Velvet Wendy’s “Like Water” has racked up 12,223,674 million streams so far. According to Spotify’s average pay per stream this year, that means the song has earned approximately $53,100 and counting.
12. Taemin (SHINee) – “Advice”
This year, SHINee Taemin’s “Advice” has racked up 13,648,030 million streams so far. According to Spotify’s average pay per stream this year, that means the song has earned approximately $59,300 and counting.
11. eAeon ft. RM (BTS) – “Don’t”
This year, eAeon’s “Don’t” featuring BTS’s RM has racked up 15,718,403 million streams so far. According to Spotify’s average pay per stream this year, that means the song has earned approximately $68,300 and counting.
10. Sunjae – “I’m Missing You”
This year, Sunjae’s “I’m Missing You” has racked up 15,790,488 million streams so far. According to Spotify’s average pay per stream this year, that means the song has earned approximately $68,600 and counting.
9. Sunmi – “Tail”
This year, Sunmi’s “Tail” has racked up 17,358,214 million streams so far. According to Spotify’s average pay per stream this year, that means the song has earned approximately $75,500 and counting.
8. Jessi – “What Type of X”
This year, Jessi’s “What Type of X” has racked up 17,485,438 million streams so far. According to Spotify’s average pay per stream this year, that means the song has earned approximately $76,000 and counting.
7. Baekhyun (EXO) – “Bambi”
This year, EXO Baekhyun’s “Bambi” has racked up 19,299,213 million streams so far. According to Spotify’s average pay per stream this year, that means the song has earned approximately $83,900 and counting.
6. Chungha – “Bicycle”
This year, Chungha’s “Bicycle” has racked up 19,499,438 million streams so far. According to Spotify’s average pay per stream this year, that means the song has earned approximately $84,800 and counting.
5. IU – “LILAC”
This year, IU’s “LILAC” has racked up 32,247,448 million streams so far. According to Spotify’s average pay per stream this year, that means the song has earned approximately $140,200 and counting.
4. HyunA – “I’m Not Cool”
This year, HyunA’s “I’m Not Cool” has racked up 32,745,617 million streams so far. According to Spotify’s average pay per stream this year, that means the song has earned approximately $142,400 and counting.
3. IU – “Celebrity”
This year, IU’s “Celebrity” has racked up 57,476,017 million streams so far. According to Spotify’s average pay per stream this year, that means the song has earned approximately $250,000 and counting.
2. Rosé (BLACKPINK) – “Gone”
This year, BLACKPINK Rosé’s “Gone” has racked up 80,419,701 million streams so far. According to Spotify’s average pay per stream this year, that means the song has earned approximately $349,800 and counting.
1. Rosé (BLACKPINK) – “On the Ground”
This year, BLACKPINK Rosé’s “On the Ground” has racked up 127,367,762 million streams so far. According to Spotify’s average pay per stream this year, that means the song has earned approximately $554,000 and counting.
