Only Four K-Pop Solo Musicians Have Reached Billboard’s Global Chart, And They’re All Women

Blackpink member Lisa almost claimed the biggest song in the entire world this week with her debut single on her own, the semi-self-titled “Lalisa.” The tune arrives in the runner-up rung on the Billboard Global 200, the chart company’s ranking of the most-consumed tracks on the planet, mixing streaming and sales data. While she may not have conquered the list, by appearing on it at all, she does join a very exclusive club, one which remains solely female.

Lisa debuts both of her first two solo songs, “Lalisa” and “Money,” on this week’s Billboard Global 200, with the cuts launching at Nos. 2 and 44, respectively. She is now one of a relatively small number of K-pop acts (Lisa is originally from Thailand, but her career started in South Korea) to land more than one placement on the tally, but when looking only at solo acts from that part of the world, she stands out as just the fourth name from South Korea to land on the ranking.

The Blackpink performer joins a list that now includes her bandmate Rosé as well as IU and Seori as the only solo musicians from South Korea to chart at least one hit on the Billboard Global 200. Amazingly, while only four names from that nation have managed to appear on the all-genre tally in the year-plus since it launched, all of them are women, as a solo male act has yet to make it to the ranking.

IU became the first solo South Korean musician to place on the Billboard Global 200, a feat she managed this February. Her single “Celebrity” rose as high as 72 and held on for just two frames before disappearing. 

That solo powerhouse, one of the most successful in South Korean history, was followed shortly by Rosé, who is also best known as one of the four members of Blackpink. Just as Lisa has managed this week, Rosé sent her first two cuts on her own to the tally, with “On the Ground” ruling for one frame while follow-up single “Gone” eventually climbed to No. 29.

Back in June, South Korean boy group Tomorrow X Together saw their difficult-to-pronounce "0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You)" sneak onto the tally at No. 167. The tune features Seori, who became just the third solo act from the nation to break onto the tally, and she’s still the only one one to do so simply as a featured act, as opposed to being the leader of her own song.

Plenty of solo South Korean musicians could blast onto the Billboard Global 200 in the coming weeks and months, as they are certainly popular enough to do so, though they haven’t released anything that quite lined up time-wise. Names like Agust D (also known as Suga), RM, J-Hope, Psy, Wonho, Jennie and many others may soon find themselves on the list, expanding this group yet again.