NewJeans and Im Young Woong Named Top Artists of 2024

A recent survey conducted by Korean Gallup has revealed that the K-pop group NewJeans (뉴진스) and singer Im Young Woong (임영웅) have been recognized as the 'Artists of the Year' for 2024. The survey, which took place from July to November 2024, involved 5,281 participants aged 13 and older across South Korea (excluding Jeju). Among respondents aged 13 to 39, NewJeans topped the list with 25.5% support, while Im Young Woong led among those aged 40 and above with 33.9%.

NewJeans, a multinational girl group consisting of members Minji, Hani, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein, made a remarkable leap from fifth place in their debut year (2022) to first place in 2023, despite facing challenges related to their agency this year. Korean Gallup noted that even in the absence of K-pop giants BTS (방탄소년단), NewJeans has demonstrated their strong presence, surpassing long-standing favorites like IU (아이유) and BLACKPINK (블랙핑크).

In the under-40 category, IU secured the second spot with 20.6%. Since her debut in 2008, she has balanced her career as a singer-songwriter with acting in dramas and films. This year, she successfully completed a world tour, performing 31 shows across 12 countries and attracting 500,000 fans.

The third place went to the girl group aespa (에스파), who debuted in 2020 and achieved a career high with their hit 'Supernova' (13.3%). Other notable mentions include BTS (10.7%), IVE (아이브, 10.2%), DAY6 (데이식스, 8.5%), BLACKPINK (8.0%), Rosé (로제, 7.7%), Im Young Woong (5.4%), and Lee Mu Jin (이무진, 3.9%).

For the over-40 demographic, Im Young Woong has maintained his top position for five consecutive years. Since winning the 'Mr. Trot' (미스터트롯) competition in 2020, he has become a prominent star in performances, broadcasts, and advertisements. This year, he released a new song titled 'On-gi' (온기) and a concert film titled 'Im Young Woong | I'm Hero: The Stadium' (임영웅 | 아임 히어로 더 스타디움).

Lee Chan Won (이찬원), also from 'Mr. Trot', ranked second among the over-40s with 12.2%, followed by Jang Yoon Jung (장윤정, 11.8%), Young Tak (영탁, 10.0%), and Na Hoon Ah (나훈아, 8.1%).

The survey also highlighted the most popular songs of the year, with Rosé and Bruno Mars' collaboration 'Apartment' (아파트) being the favorite among those under 40 (9.8%), while Im Young Woong's 'Love Always Runs Away' (사랑은 늘 도망가) topped the list for those over 40 (5.9%).

Overall, the survey reflects the evolving landscape of Korean music preferences, with younger audiences favoring new releases while older listeners show a strong affinity for established artists and their past hits.