사진 확대 BTS. Photo | Big Hit Music
The group BTS (Bangtan Boys) has taken the No. 1 spot in the singer brand reputation rankings.
According to the Korea Institute of Corporate Reputation on the 24th, analysis of big data for singer brand reputation in January 2026 showed BTS in first place, Blackpink in second, and Lim Young-woong in third.
The Korea Institute of Corporate Reputation analyzed 116,391,810 pieces of big data related to singer brands from December 24, 2025 to January 24, 2026. The study examined consumer participation, media coverage, communication, and community activity for each brand. Compared with the 108,476,322 pieces of singer brand big data collected in December, the volume increased by 7.30%.
The singer brand reputation index is a metric derived by extracting big data on singer brands that release music loved by consumers and then analyzing consumer behavior. The data is categorized into participation value, communication value, media value, and community value, and further processed through positive–negative ratio analysis and a reputation analysis algorithm. Through brand reputation analysis, it is possible to identify who is talking about a brand, where, how, how much, and why.
The BTS (RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, Jung Kook) brand, which ranked No. 1 in singer brand reputation, recorded a participation index of 261,097, a media index of 927,857, a communication index of 2,545,645, and a community index of 3,674,716, resulting in a brand reputation index of 7,409,314. This represents an 8.81% increase compared with the December brand reputation index of 6,809,220.
In second place, the Blackpink (Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, Lisa) brand posted a participation index of 148,866, a media index of 545,540, a communication index of 2,325,330, and a community index of 3,193,750, for a total brand reputation index of 6,213,487. This is a 76.65% rise from its December brand reputation index of 3,517,427.
In third place, the Lim Young-woong brand recorded a participation index of 881,305, a media index of 1,528,397, a communication index of 1,620,725, and a community index of 1,201,475, resulting in a brand reputation index of 5,231,902. Compared with the December brand reputation index of 6,055,100, this marks a 13.60% decline.
In fourth place, the Hwasa brand showed a participation index of 676,681, a media index of 1,578,488, a communication index of 1,261,432, and a community index of 1,316,979, for a brand reputation index of 4,833,580. This is a 37.42% increase from the December brand reputation index of 3,517,427.
In fifth place, the Ive (An Yu-jin, Gaeul, Rei, Jang Won-young, Liz, Leeseo) brand recorded a participation index of 275,450, a media index of 1,014,777, a communication index of 1,416,304, and a community index of 1,940,668, resulting in a brand reputation index of 4,647,200. Compared with its December brand reputation index of 5,291,094, this represents a 12.17% decrease.
Koo Chang-hwan, head of the institute, stated, “In the January 2026 singer brand reputation big data analysis, the BTS (RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, Jung Kook) brand ranked No. 1. When we examined the singer brand category, the volume of singer brand big data increased by 7.30% compared with the 108,476,322 data points recorded in December.” He added, “A closer look shows brand consumption up 12.90%, brand issues down 0.09%, brand communication up 15.35%, and brand diffusion up 4.41%.”
He continued, “The BTS brand, which has announced a full-group return with a world tour, ranked first. Blackpink, which left a powerful impression with its pink-themed world tour, came in second. Lim Young-woong, who is expanding his positive influence together with his fandom community, ranked third. Hwasa, who topped the domestic music charts, placed fourth, and Ive, which drew intense consumer attention by signaling a February comeback, ranked fifth.”
The top 30 singer brand reputation rankings for January 2026 were, in order: BTS, Blackpink, Lim Young-woong, Hwasa, Ive, Illit, Exo, Seventeen, Kim Yong-bin, Lee Chan-won, Cho Yong-pil, aespa, CORTIS, Park Ji-hyun, Han Roro, Jang Yoon-jeong, Park Seo-jin, fromis_9, Young Tak, Son Tae Jin, TWS (Twenty Four Seven With Us), Taeyeon, WOODZ, Jeong Dong-won, Le Sserafim, Hearts2Hearts, Bibi, Joy, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, and 10cm.
Yang So-young, Star Today
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.